For being the Test captain of the Indian team to being the 12th man in an ICC event would not be an easy task for Ajinkya Rahane. But Ajinkya Rahane has always been a team-man and yet again proved his class, by saying that one needs to keep all insecurities away while wearing India jersey, as per a report by Times of India.

Ajinkya Rahane was the captain of the Indian team during their series-winning Test against Australia in Dharamsala. Being the vital cog of a Test side, leading them to being a fringe player, carrying drinks is someone you wouldn’t have associated with an Indian cricketer in the 90’s but times have changed, and so has the mentality of the cricketers.

The traffic police in Pakistan’s Faisalabad city is using an image of Indian pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s no-ball in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 to warn the drivers to stay behind the line at the red light. City Traffic Police Faisalabad in Punjab, Pakistan’s third-most-populous city, is using Bumrah’s no-ball in the image on its posters.

The image with two cars behind a line on one side and Bumrah’s no ball on the other carries a caption – “Don’t cross the line. You know it can be costly”. Below the caption is the logo of the City Traffic Police Faisalabad. Bumrah’s no ball gave Pakistan’s opener Fakhar Zaman an early life in the final of the Champions Trophy against India at The Oval on Sunday.

Former England captain and legend Geoffrey Boycott has laid the blame of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final defeat against Pakistan firmly on the shoulders of Indian captain Virat Kohli. Kohli has endured a torrid few days as the captain with India losing the ICC Champions Trophy final followed by Anil Kumble resigning as the coach in which he subtly shifted the blame of Virat Kohli’s shoulders in a statement and the public opinion generally swaying against him.

Geoffrey Boycott writing in his column for Times of India, questioned the tactical and strategic nous of Virat Kohli. He wrote, “Despite all that has been said and written about India’s embarrassing no show against Pakistan at the Oval, I still have that one overriding question: why, for the love of God, would you offer the opposition first use of England’s best batting pitch, on a day when the sun was shining and there wasn’t a speck of cloud anywhere?”

Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh feels the blame for India’s embarrassing loss to arch- rivals Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final lies with the team’s bowlers, who “disappointed when it mattered”.

Harbhajan said the runs leaked in the middle overs and the spinners’ inability to take wickets made a huge impact in the match as Pakistan piled on a big total of 338 for 4 after being put into bat. India were then bowled out for 158 in just 30.3 overs as Pakistan notched up a 180-run win in a lop-sided summit clash.

“Our bowlers disappointed when it mattered the most. We didn’t start too well to begin with. The spinners did not help by giving away too many runs, plus they didn’t take any wickets. This cost us immensely,” Harbhajan wrote in his column for the ICC.

“Our fielding was not up to the mark as seen in previous matches. It was such kind of performance where we were hoping for a breakthrough rather than making things happen. The runs given in the middle overs were too much. They got their partnerships spot on. They were up for it right from the first ball and one had the feeling that they had saved their best for the final against us,” he said.

Harbhajan also felt that the ‘no ball’ that Jasprit Bumrah bowled to have Fakhar Zaman being caught behind by Mahendra Singh Dhoni cost the Indian team dear. Zaman went on to score 114 to set up the win for Pakistan.

“The crucial point of Sunday’s final at The Oval came extremely early. It was the no-ball that Jasprit Bumrah bowled that saw Fakhar Zaman being caught behind by MS Dhoni, ” said Harbhajan who has played 103 Tests, 236 ODIs and 28 T20Is for India from 1998 to 2016.

Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali, who was a member of the Pakistan squad who won the historic ICC Champions Trophy title against India has praised the Indian team players and is grateful to them for clicking pictures with his kids. He took to his personal Twitter account to thank the Indian players.

He especially thanked former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, current captain Virat Kohli and left-handed batsman Yuvraj Singh for their graciousness. Azhar who is widely expected to become the captain of the Pakistan Test team now that Misbah-ul-Haq has retired, tweeted:

The International Cricket Council is mulling with the idea of scrapping the Champions Trophy and hosting two World T20 Cups in the four-year cycle, chief executive David Richardson said today.

India, who holds the hosting rights for the next Champions Trophy in 2021, were thrashed by Pakistan by 180 runs in the finals at The Oval last Sunday. The event received a huge response from the global audience as millions tuned in to catch the action of the stunning final in television.

However, Richardson said there is no guarantee that there will be another Champions Trophy in 2021 and the issue will be discussed during this week’s ICC annual conference at The Oval.

“What we want to do is differentiate our global events from each other so that they can be standalone and create maximum interest every time the event happens,” Richardson told reporters via telephone on the eve of the ICC’s annual conference in London.

“At this stage, the next Champions Trophy is still scheduled for India in 2021. Whether that gets changed, the consideration has been given to changing to two T20s in a four-year cycle which would mean swapping the Champions Trophy for a World T20.”

The ICC Champions Trophy 2017 saw some remarkable performances by a lot of champion performers. However, there were a few players, who, despite not having the baggage of expectations on them, went on to surprise everyone by their scintillating efforts in the tournament.

Here is a look at 5 emerging players of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.

The ICC have named their team of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Their 12-member team includes as many as seven members from the finalists of this edition – India and Pakistan. Not surprisingly, Sarfraz Ahmed, who led Pakistan to their maiden Champions Trophy triumph has been named captain. There is also room for players like Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, Tamim Iqbal and Kane Williamson (12th man) in the team.

Not many expected Pakistan to win the trophy at the beginning of the tournament. But since their defeat to India in the first game of the tournament, they have turned a corner and won the rest of their matches.

Following their ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final win against arch-rivals India, Pakistan have surged to 6th in the ICC ODI rankings. Their star players Hasan Ali, Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman too have made significant strides in the ICC ODI rankings. Pakistan have gained four points, thanks to wins against higher ranked oppositions in South Africa, England and India.

Hasan has broken into the top 10 for the very first time, ending the tournament at seventh, while Zaman, having played just four One-Day Internationals (ODI) has broken into the top 100. However, South Africa, Australia and India remain at positions 1, 2 and 3 respectively. But India have lost one point and have 116 ranking points after losing to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has hailed the Pakistan cricket team for their stunning victory in the ICC Champions Trophy final against India, hailing it as a ‘monumental victory’ in the history of Pakistan cricket. Very few people gave Pakistan a chance facing off against India in the final, but the lowest ranked team in the tournament surprised one and all.

Writing for ICC-Cricket.com, Afridi said, “It has been an ultra-quick turnaround from no-hopers to champions for the Pakistan players and the manner in which the team won the match was really impressive. This is one victory that Pakistan fans will remember for long. It has been an ultra-quick turnaround from no-hopers to champions for the Pakistan players and the manner in which the team won the match was really impressive.”

ICC Champions Trophy 2017 saw many excellent performances from all the sides. From Josh Hazlewood’s 6-for against New Zealand to Fakhar Zaman’s ton in the final, there was never a dull moment in the competition. However, against all odds, it was Pakistan, who emerged victorious in the end.

With this edition of the Champions Trophy done and dusted, here is our XI of the tournament:

Openers:

Shikhar Dhawan (338 runs at 67.60, 100s: 1, 50s: 2): Dhawan was the leading run-getter in the 2013 edition and finishes Champions Trophy 2017 as the leading run-getter as well. He timed the ball incredibly well throughout the tournament. His 125 against Sri Lanka may have gone in vain, but he played crucial innings against Pakistan (group stage) and continued his good show in the other matches as well. However, he failed to click in the final, but Dhawan – in and out of the Indian team of late – would have gained a lot of confidence from his performance.

Fakhar Zaman (252 runs at 63, 100s: 1, 50s: 2): Not many would have expected Zaman to scale the heights as he did in this tournament. He had not made his One-Day International (ODI) debut before the tournament, but in the four matches he played in this competition, he registered three 50-plus scores, with his best coming in the final against India, where he scored 114 off 106. Zaman scored 31, 50 and 57 in the games leading up to the final and got all his runs at the top at an incredibly good pace.

Indian team captain Virat Kohli was not in the greatest of moods following India’s humiliating defeat against Pakistan in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy. His anguish soon turned into irritation as a reporter bugged him with some non-sensical questions during the post-match press conference of the final match.

A reporter asked Kohli as to whether Bumrah bowling a no-ball on the wicket of Fakhar Zaman was a pleasing moment for him. This question confused and irritated the Indian team captain in equal measure.

For a country that has not played international cricket at home against any top cricketing nation, the Champions Trophy triumph was necessary to “identify their heroes”, feels Pakistan’s chief coach Mickey Arthur.

The South African is hopeful just like his skipper Sarfraz Ahmed that this victory will usher a new era in country’s cricket.

“Look, I think it’ll be massive (implication of this victory). I really do. I hope that — and I am sure that the nation of Pakistan is really happy because they deserve it,” the coach said after the match.

Ever since a terror attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in 2009, no major cricketing nation has tourned Pakistan for a series and they had to play all their ‘home’ matches outside the country. Zimbabwe is the only nation to have toured Pakistan two years ago. The International Cricket Council is likely to send a World XI to Pakistan in September and Arthur hoped it will pave the way for future tours.

“We’re scheduled to have a World XI in Pakistan in September for three Twenty20 games,” he said. “So hopefully that starts paving the way for future tours. We can only hope.”

Arthur, like others, also want that cricket loving fans in Pakistan, get to see their heroes play international matches.

“The players have gone through a lot. And not only for the players but also for the fans, who have not been able to identify with their heroes, because they just don’t get to watch international cricket at home. This victory is massive for the country. So let’s hope that this really kick-starts that momentum in Pakistan again,” Arthur sounded hopeful.

Senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been on a downward spiral in one-day cricket but India skipper Virat Kohli feels it’s unfair to be critical of him given the challenges of bowling on flat decks in the format.

Ashwin was taken to task by rookie Fakhar Zaman as he conceded 70 runs in 10 wicket-less overs in India’s 180-run loss to Pakistan in Champions Trophy final last night. In fact, he got only a single wicket in three matches that he played, giving away 167 runs from 29 overs. The economy rate of less than six runs per over, keeping in mind the current ODI rules, is not an issue.

But for someone, who is a different beast with the red ball, Ashwin is not bowling enough wicket-taking deliveries. A testimony to that is a haul of only 9 wickets in his last 10 ODIs across two years. Asked if Ashwin needs to revisit his plans due to poor his ODI record in recent times, Kohli was ready to bat for his senior-most spinner.

“Every spinner has challenges on flat decks and every spinner could go for runs. Especially on wickets like these, where if a batsman gets going, it really becomes difficult for the spinner and people are slogging across the line and getting away with it,” Kohli reasoned.

“Not just today, not just tomorrow, this day will be remembered in Pakistan for years to come,” said a beaming Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed as he made a passionate plea to other nations to play international cricket in their country.

No major cricketing nation has toured Pakistan since the terrorist attack on Sri Lanka team back in 2009.

“It was a great achievement by the boys and full credit to them. Everyone will remember this achievement, not just for today or tomorrow but for a long, long time in Pakistan cricket. The boys were really motivated today. We came here as a number eight ranked team and won the tournament. Hope all nations now come and play cricket in Pakistan,” Sarfraz said at the post-match press conference.

“It is an unbelievable feeling which I can’t describe at the moment though. I dedicate this win to the people of Pakistan.”

The ICC Champions Trophy 2017 culminated on Sunday in a one-sided contest as Pakistan went on to lift the trophy for the first time by beating defending champions India by a whopping 180-run margin. Throughout its three weeks, the tournament had a lot of fascinating records and statistics to take note of. Let’s have a look at 12 such interesting figures.

India captain Virat Kohli had a smile on his face during the post-match interview after his side’s loss to Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy Final 2017. While congratulating Pakistan, he also said that he was proud of the way his side performed. Chasing 339 to win, India were bundled out for just 158 in 30.3 overs.

As they always say for big matches, ‘win toss and bat first’. Virat Kohli’s decision has backfired badly on India as Pakistan romp to their maiden ICC Champions Trophy title. From being humiliated by India in the first game to winning the trophy, the surge has been nothing but a miracle and truly stands for what Pakistan cricket is all about. One day, they’ll be right at the bottom of the pile while the next day, they’ll be standing at the podium.

And one man deserves most of the credit for Pakistan’s fairy-tale success. Sarfaraz’s control of the proceedings has helped Pakistan complete their remarkable comeback. At a country where Pakistan entered its deepest low, it’s also ironic that they’ve completed one of the biggest fairy-tale stories in recent cricketing history on the same soil.

India won the toss and not surprisingly decided to bowl first, considering the fire-power in the batting line-up. However, things went downhill from there as Pakistan took control of the match and never gave India a sniff. However, India did make a few blunders in the match, that proved costly in the end. Virat Kohli’s men will rue their poor fielding and their failure to maintain the composure while chasing a huge target. Pakistan however will be delighted to have gone all the way and won the tournament, especially after they were decimated in their opening match against India, which would have made the win all the more sweeter. Let us now take a look at the highlights of the match:

Pakistan have stunned Indian Cricket Team by beating them convincingly in the final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. Pakistan were the dominant team from the first ball of the match to the last and not for a minute did it look as though India would manage to take home a victory. They were the dominant unit in all the departments of the game and simply blew India away with their dominating performance.

Twitter went crazy, praising the Pakistan cricket team for their stunning performance, while also pouring some scorn on the Indian players. Here are some of the best reactions:

Before the ICC Champions Trophy final began between India and Pakistan, very few people gave Pakistan any chance of winning the contest. They would be now eating their words as Pakistan have been nothing short of brilliant in the final. They first were sensational with the bat and then Mohammed Amir has shown why he is regarded as one of the best bowlers in world cricket by rocking the Indian top order. He has dismissed the in-form Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan early, with a fiery opening spell of fast bowling on a flat pitch.

Twitter has gone insane, holding their heads in astonishment and disbelief as India have been rocked by Pakistan. Here are some of the best reactions:

Pakistan put up a mammoth total on the board, which puts them in a commanding position to win the match and lift their maiden ICC Champions Trophy. Openers Fakhar Zaman and Azhar Ali batted extremely well to give Pakistan a superb start and then the middle-order came good, which eventually took Pakistan to 338-4. India too were a tad sloppy in the field, which handed their opponents the initiative. Let us now take a closer look at the some of the highlights of the Pakistan innings.

Indian bowlers had arguably their worst performance of the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, as they had no answer for the sustained assault of the Pakistani batsmen. They also conceded many extras as Jasprit Bumrah’s no-ball on the wicket of Fakhar Zaman also proved costly as he went on to score his maiden ODI century. India now have a tough task on their hands to defend the trophy as they will have to chase down a score of .

Twitter was less than impressed by India’s bowling and criticized a number of runs they conceded. Here are some of the best reactions:

Veteran Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor has stirred up a storm on Twitter, mocking the Pakistan cricket team ahead of the their ICC Champions Trophy final against India. His tweet led to many Pakistan fans taking offence to his comments, while many Indian fans jumped to his defense.

Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final between India and Pakistan, says that he did not predict these two sides to be in the final of the tournament.
Sangakkara a veteran of 134 Tests, 404 ODIs and 56 T20Is feels that the contest will be between India’s batting and Pakistan’s bowling. In his column in icc-cricket.com, Sangakkara writes, “I certainly did not predict this final before the tournament, but no one can claim they don’t deserve to be there. Both teams have played some exceptional cricket, adapted really well to conditions, and have shown enormous heart and spirit along the way, both bouncing back from heavy defeats.”

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is expected to do commentary for Star Sports during the final of the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy between India and Pakistan. The final is expected to become one of the most watched games in the history of cricket and Star who have the broadcasting rights for the tournament in India have decided to rope in one of the biggest celebrities in the country for the contest.

The news was revealed by Mumbai-based tabloid Mumbai Mirror. A spokesperson for Star said that Shah Rukh Khan would do commentary as it was a special final and a special match. The Star official told Mumbai Mirror, “We had brought in Sachin Tendulkar for the league match between the sides and now we have called Shah Rukh.”

Pakistani pacers have managed to subdue the rival batsmen en route to the Champions Trophy final but Gautam Gambhir does not see them posing any serious threat to Indian batsmen in the title clash on Sunday.

The Pakistani attack, comprising the likes of Mohammed Amir, Junaid Khan and Hasan Ali, has gone from strength to strength. They were exceptional against Sri Lanka and very impressive against England in the semifinals. Gambhir is of the view that for Pakistani pacers to make an impact on Sunday in London, help from the conditions is imperative.

“For years the India-Pakistan contest has been a battle between India’s batting and Pakistan bowling. Earlier, it used to be Shoaib (Akhtar) and Umar Gul vs us and now Amir is their best bowler. Given the flat nature of wickets in the competition so far I don’t see any threat for India. May be Amir can do something out of ordinary, conditions permitting,” Gambhir told PTI in an interaction.

As far as India’s attack is concerned, Gambhir felt that it’s time that paceman Umesh Yadav be brought back in the playing eleven. Spinner R Ashwin replaced Yadav in the team after first two matches in the group stage.

“I know it is a tricky one but given that the Oval pitch has bounce I would be tempted to play Umesh. Besides, any subcontinental team is generally comfortable against spin which is another reason why I would prefer Umesh although Ashwin too is a fantastic competitor,” Gambhir felt.

The final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 between India and Pakistan is upon us. With the form both the teams are currently in and the staunch rivalry the two countries have had over the past few decades, we can expect a mouth-watering and thrilling contest at the Oval on the 18th of June.

While we eagerly wait for this classic match to begin, it is a good time to have a look at some interesting records, statistics and numbers from the India –Pakistan ODI history.

My young statistician friend has been agog the past few days, throwing up figures and facts aplenty. Chief among these is that Sunday’s Champions Trophy game is the second time India and Pakistan will meet in an ICC tournament final.

If that doesn’t sound extraordinary, he highlights a coincidence that gives Sunday’s match and interesting dimension. “In the earlier instance too, India and Pakistan played their first match of the tournament against each other, and India had won’’

The young statistician, of course, was referring to the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 where India beat Pakistan fairly easily in the league phase, and after both teams had charted an exciting path to the final, produced an epic which M S Dhoni’s team won in a sensational last-over finish.

I have my a corollary to this story. Though not located in an ICC tournament, it may perhaps have more relevance for Sunday since it pertains to ODI cricket, not T20. As any worthy will aver, these are two different ball games even if played sometimes by the same players.

South Africa’s Marais Erasmus and England’s Richard Kettleborough have been chosen as the umpire’s to officiate in the marquee clash of the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy in the final match between India and Pakistan at the Kensington Oval in London. Rod Tucker will be the third umpire for the match with Kumar Dharmasena acting as the fourth umpire.

India and Pakistan, nations divided by history, united by cricket, will take on each other on June 18 at The Oval, London and we cannot wait for more. Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli said that India sees this clash as yet another game of cricket. However, not many are thinking the same way.

However, not many are thinking the same way.

When these two sides play, there is a lot on stake, more than just the victory. On such occasions when there is so much to play for, each team will need some heroes to play big roles.

Australian legend Shane Warne has uploaded a photo of himself wearing an England ODI jersey after losing a bet to former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. During the ICC Champions Trophy encounter between the two rivals Australia and England, Shane Warne had opined that Australia will win the match and go through in the finals. Sourav Ganguly on the other hand, reckoned that England will win the match and would knock Australia out of the tournament. Sourav Ganguly turned out to be right in his prediction and England indeed knocked Australia out in a rain-curtailed encounter.

After the match, Shane Warne immediately conceded defeat on his Twitter account:

The much-awaited India-Pakistan clash in the league phase of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 turned out to be a real dud as India won the one-sided contest with a thumping margin. However, the two teams will now face-off once again in the finals of the event on the 18th of June. With Pakistan showing a tremendous resurgence to reach the finals and India being thoroughly clinical in the tournament, one can expect an absolute cracker of a contest in the decider.
Both India and Pakistan share a rich ODI history between them and have been a part of some real thrilling and unforgettable moments over the decades. Before the two teams square off in the final of the Champions Trophy 2017, let us have a look at five classic India-Pakistan ODI moments in history. There are simply too many to choose from, but these five really do stand ou

India and Pakistan will clash in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 on June 18, 2017 at The Oval. Catch the live telecast of the match on Star Sports 1, Star Sports HD 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports HD 2. For Tamil telecast, switch to Star Sports Tamil 1 and for Hindi telecast tune into Star Sports Hindi. The live telecast is also available on Doordarshan (Only in India). The Live streaming of the match is available on hotstar.com.

Pakistan’s “magnificent turnaround” has impressed him but India captain Virat Kohli says there is nothing that his side needs to be overtly concerned about ahead of the Champions Trophy final against the arch-foes on Sunday.

India eased past Bangladesh to enter the finals while Pakistan got the better of more fancied England in their semi-final clash.

India have already beaten Pakistan in the ongoing tournament during the preliminary stage.

Speaking about what is expected to be a high-voltage second clash, Kohli was nonchalant.

“What we are going to try to do is repeat the similar sort of cricket that we have played so far, knowing the strengths and weaknesses they have. Obviously, we will have to plan a bit according to that, but I don’t know if there’s much that we need to change as a team,” he said.

India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah says that he was advised rest after ICC Champions Trophy 2017, ahead of India’s One-Day International (ODI) series and one-off T20 International (T20I) against West Indies. He also says that it is not an injury issue that forced him to miss the five-match ODI series, which kicks off on June 23.

Bumrah’s Mumbai Indians (MI) teammate Rohit Sharma too was rested for the ODI series. When asked if he was injured, Bumrah said, “I am totally fine, they [selectors and team management] have told me to take rest. I am fully fit and there are no niggles.” “I am not disappointed. I have been doing things that I have been told to do,” he added.

India registered an emphatic 9-wicket win in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 semi-final over Bangladesh and qualified for the final of the tournament for the second time in a row. Chasing 265 to win, Rohit Sharma scored an unbeaten 123 and skipper Virat Kohli scored 96 not out to ensure India eased to a win with 59 balls to spare. With this, Yuvraj Singh reached his seventh ICC final, which is the most for any player in the world. No other player  Neither Sachin Tendulkar nor Ricky Ponting have managed to reach Yuvrajs heights. Yuvraj in the game against Bangladesh became only the fifth player to represent India in 300 One-Day Internationals (ODI).

India registered an emphatic 9-wicket win in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 semi-final over Bangladesh and qualified for the final of the tournament for the second time in a row. Chasing 265 to win, Rohit Sharma scored an unbeaten 123 and skipper Virat Kohli scored 96 not out to ensure India eased to a win with 59 balls to spare. With this, Yuvraj Singh reached his seventh ICC final, which is the most for any player in the world. No other player – Neither Sachin Tendulkar nor Ricky Ponting have managed to reach Yuvraj’s heights. Yuvraj in the game against Bangladesh became only the fifth player to represent India in 300 One-Day Internationals (ODI).

Pakistan after their sensational victory over England in the semi-final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy have climbed up one spot in the ICC ODI ranking to the 7th spot. Before the tournament started, Pakistan barely managed to qualify for the tournament, languishing on the 8th spot in the ODI rankings.

With the win against England. Pakistan have now overtaken their Asian rivals Sri Lanka in the latest ODI rankings. Both teams have 93 points but Pakistan have played fewer matches to attain their points. South Africa are still on top of the rankings with Australia and India within a hair’s distance of them. England are fourth on the table, followed by New Zealand on the 5th position and Bangladesh occupying the sixth spot.

India beat Bangladesh in the second semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 by a big margin of 9 wickets. India chased down the total of 265 runs in just the 41st over as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli played marvellous knocks of unbeaten 123 and 96 runs respectively.

However, the game-changer in the game was the timely spell of Kedar Jadhav, who scalped the important wickets of Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim, who were top scorers for Bangladesh in the match. Both of them fell at a time when they were looking to up the temp. It was a masterstroke decision from Virat Kohli. But in the press conference, the Indian captain mentioned that it was not alone his decision to bring Jadhav into the attack but also Dhoni’s.

India and Pakistan are in the finals of ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and expect a humdinger of a contest. This match is expected to be far more competitive than how it panned out to be in the last game between the two nations.

India start as favourites

There is not an iota of doubt that Pakistan are playing at their best potential but beating India in the final of the Champions Trophy will take some beating. Despite their shabby bowling display against Sri Lanka, India have been the best side in the Champions Trophy thus far. They have players who are ready to take on any team in the world.

Pakistan’s strength is their ability to surprise

Pakistan are not the side for whom Indian can plan easily. They have a surprising element in their game. The way they played against England shows that this team is ready to take on India. Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan are the X factors for Pakistan. Their emergence in the tournament has paved the way for Pakistan but India just cannot make the mistake of planning just for them. Because, in that case, somebody else will rise and steal the show.

India beat Bangladesh comfortably on June 15 at Edgbaston to reach the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. In the final, Indians will be meeting arch-rivals Pakistan on June 18 at The Oval, London. This is the second time India and Pakistan will be playing against each other in the Champions Trophy 2017. The first time they met, India beat them all ends by 124 runs.

Pakistan would look to avenge that defeat but they know that overcoming India won’t be as easy as said.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, however, believes Pakistan can go ahead and win the contest. As soon as India won their semi-final clash, Afridi took to Twitter to congratulate them and also wrote that Pakistan needs to stay calm and focus in order to beat India.

India breathed fire on a cold evening in Birmingham to beat Bangladesh comprehensively by 9 wickets to face Pakistan in the big final on 18th June. Just like the 1st semifinal between Pakistan and England, this was another one-sided affair. Virat Kohli’s side were facing a Bangladeshi team had beaten New Zealand in emphatic fashion and hence, could not take their opponents lightly. It was a lucky toss to win for India as Virat Kohli had no hesitation in fielding first and there were no changes in both teams.

Virat Kohli’s 1st assignment as captain in an ICC event and so far, the road is looking nothing less than glorious. An India-Pakistan final is what the nation hoped. An India-Pakistan final is what we have in our hands. After beating Bangladesh emphatically by 9 wickets, India will now face arch-rivals Pakistan on 18th June at the Oval.
After the match, Virat Kohli was but obviously excited for meeting the final and couldn’t stop expressing his glee when questioned by Ian Bishop in the post-match conference.

The Men in Blue marches on to their second consecutive ICC Champions Trophy final, beating Bangladesh with 8 wickets still remaining. Winning the toss first, Indian skipper Virat Kohli, quite calmly, decided to chase down the target. In as early as the first over, Bhuvneshwar Kumar got the better of Soumya Sarkar, followed by the wicket of Sabbir Rahman. Tamim Iqbal and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim anchored a decent partnership, but as soon as the duo departed, Bangladesh stumbled.

Managing a mere score of 264 runs against a massive Indian batting attack was never going to be an easy defence and the Men in Blue duly delivered what was expected. The opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma got off to a brilliant start before the former departed back to hut, missing his half century by only four runs. His wicket remained the only positive delivery Bangladesh delivered in the second inning. Rohit Sharma, who completed his 11th ODI ton, along with Virat Kohli booked their place in the final and will now lock horns with their arch nemesis Pakistan in the ultimate showdown.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2017 has been one of the best-viewed tournaments in recent times. After the almost two-months long IPL, the Champions Trophy has been a breath of fresh air. Right from upsets to close contests, to rain-breaks, there has been drama, there has been action but most necessarily, there has been some great cricketing action on view. With Pakistan’s fairy-tale story of turning around the tables after a humiliating defeat against India to Australia’s rain-woes, the tournament has seen it all. We’ll take a look at some of the numbers and statistics in the Champions Trophy so far.

India are well and truly in the drivers seat in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final against Bangladesh restricting the Bangladesh team to a score of only 264/7. The pitch at Edgbaston in Birmingham seems a good one for batting and with the firepower at their disposal, will surely fancy their chances of chasing the score down.

Twitter was full of praise for the Indian bowlers for maintaining a tight leash on their Bangladeshi opponents. Here are some of the best reactions:

The ICC Champions Trophy 2017 has seen many excellent bowling spells from different teams. Pakistan, having started the tournament off slowly, have two of their fast bowlers – Hasan Ali and Junaid Khan in the top five. Hasan became the first bowler to get into double figures, following good performances against South Africa, Sri Lanka and then in the semi-final against hosts England. However, Josh Hazlewood, who rose to the No. 1 ranking in the ICC ODI ranking for bowlers registered the best figures of this edition of the tournament, when he finished with figures of 6-52 in the washed out match against New Zealand.

Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal who last played for Pakistan in 2015 has been trolled heavily on Twitter for copying Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara’s tweet word to word, when Pakistan beat favourites England in the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy. Saeed Ajmal in his tweet congratulating Pakistan, took a note right out of school and college students’ book and copied the exact same words of Kumar Sangakkara’s well-constructed tweet.

After Pakistan came up arguably the performance of the tournament to dump everyone’s favourites England, Sangakkara sent out the following congratulatory message:

Not many had given chance to Bangladesh when the ICC Champions Trophy began on June 1. In Birmingham on June 15, they find themselves playing India in the second semi-final of the tournament.

India, on the other hand, one of the favourites have shown brilliance in the whole tournament apart from the one shabby display for bowling in their second league game against Sri Lanka.

Indian batting looks fantastic at the moment. Bowlers, too, came backs strongly against South Africa. Bangladesh have a tough task in hand but so does India. Bangladesh has something which India does not have. It is their unpredictability. You can plan for someone’s skills not for their unpredictable behaviour.

Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza, who will have the honour of leading Bangladesh into their first event semi-final in an ICC tournament feels that India will be under more pressure than them in semi-final 2 of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. “Yes, we are playing in the semi-final and it is a pressure game. But if we are under pressure then I think India are under more pressure compared to us because of their huge population and the love for the game among common public,” Mortaza said at the pre-match press conference. “Both teams face pressure of expectations. But at the end of the day, it’s a game of cricket, so whoever plays well, they will win. I just told the players if you take it as ‘the semi-final’, the pressure will be going very hard, but if you think it’s just another match the pressure will ease off,” he added.

“Sir zindagi bach gayi humari, who sabse badi baat hain (I am alive and that is the biggest thing for me),” Yuvraj Singh smirked when asked if he has any regrets on the eve of his landmark 300th ODI appearance.

It was a roundabout way of asking about his not so great Test record, but a veteran of more than ‘300 press conferences’ would have known what was coming his way. He would have nothing of that sort, especially when he has hit cancer for a ‘six’.

Ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final against Bangladesh, Yuvraj wanted to be in a zone which is miles away from any kind of negativity.

“I don’t want to talk about my regrets when I am in a good zone. I am playing well and would continue for a few more years. As long as I am performing, I would like to play,” Yuvraj said, making it clear that the 2019 World Cup is still in his mind.

After a humiliating loss to India in their opening game, Pakistan have bounced back and how! A Pakistani side that don’t have numbers backing them, a Pakistani side that doesn’t have anyone backing them, a Pakistan team who were ranked last, at number 8 before the Champions Trophy, are just one game away from a historic Champions Trophy title.

If they go on to be the champions of 2017, it’s the journey to victory that made it special and not the victory itself. And If India beat Bangladesh tomorrow, they should be wary of a Pakistan who has played flawless cricket in their last three games.

Pakistan were Pakistan today in the field as they demolish England in the first semi-final clash in Cardiff. England did not bat well and were bowled out for a paltry 211. It could have been a fighting total but Pakistan openers Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman scored 118 runs for the first wicket.

Pakistan are now in the final, where they will play either Bangladesh or India.

A rampant Pakistan who are on a roll, have caused the biggest upset of the tournament by sending out hosts and firm favourites, England crashing out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Pakistan put on a ruthless display of batsman ship, later on, to crush England in Cardiff. In another episode from Pakistan’s baggage of unpredictably, England and their whole nation have been left shell-shocked and Pakistan will now face either India or Bangladesh in the finals which will be held in the Oval.

Sarfaraz Ahmed yet again chose to field first and that proved to be another vital decision for the Asian side. While an out-of-form Jason Roy had to make way for Jonny Bairstow, Pakistan made two changes with Mohammad Amir injured, Raees coming in and Shadab Khan, the leg-spinner coming in for a fast bowler.

South Africa have been yet again knocked out of an ICC event, this time the defeat coming at the hands of India, who mercilessly thrashed the Proteas by 8 wickets in the last game of the group stages. The curse of the choke continues to haunt them in ICC event as since South Africa’s re-entry in world cricket since 1992, they’re yet to enter any knock-out stages in ICC events. For a team that was ranked world number one prior to the tournament, this deafening loss will surely hurt them the most.

India may be outright favourites in the Champions Trophy semifinals against Bangladesh but the defending champions will be under more pressure, former captains Mohammad Ashraful and Habibul Bashar said on Wednesday.

“Aar ektu upare jete chai (having come all the way, we badly don’t want to miss out on a final spot now),” Bashar, who led Bangladesh to their epic 2007 World Cup win over India at Port of Spain, told PTI from Dhaka.

Bangladesh beat New Zealand in Cardiff from being 33 for 4 in a sensational run chase before their progress was confirmed when fancied Australia, plagued by two rain-hit games, lost to England the next day June 10.

“We have previously reached Asia Cup final. But no doubt this is the biggest moment in the history of Bangladesh cricket. It’s like mini World Cup. India are the defending champions it’s no secret that they will be under more pressure. We have an experienced side and we need a team effort,” the current selector said.

The 44-year-old said their bowlers will hold the key but according to him the biggest “threat” will be Indian opener Rohit Sharma whose 137 in their 2015 World Cup quarterfinal win is “still fresh” in his mind. “We not only need early breakthroughs but will have to ensure that we keep striking. I’m a big fan of Rohit Sharma and his wicket will be the key,” he said referring to Sharma’s century after being given not out on 90 as Rubel’s delivery was called a no-ball in a dubious decision.

One of the favourites to win the ICC Champions Trophy, India will take on Bangladesh in the second semi-final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Bangladesh’s run into the semi-final of the tournament has surprised one and all, where they managed to qualify out of Group A over the much more fancied Australia and New Zealand. They deserve their qualification though, competing well in their first game of the tournament against England before rain gave them a point against Australia. They still needed to win their match against New Zealand and did so brilliantly, mounting a fierce comeback from a precarious situation to win the match.

Bangladesh have made it to the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time and their head coach Chandika Hathurusingha feels that India are favourites to win the tournament, but feels Bangladesh can challenge any side if they play to their potential. Hathurusingha is also confident that Bangladesh will put up a good show in the semi-final against India, scheduled to be played on Thursday. “India is the favourites to win the competition, but if we play to our maximum potential then we can challenge any team. Attention to details will be the key,” Hathursingha said. “We are taking it as any other game. There are no special preparations and we are preparing by thinking of it as any other game.” Hathursingha further stated.

In case you missed it, the Google doodle for the ICC Champions Trophy had a small flash game attached to it. As the ICC Champions Trophy begun, it was time Google got in on the hype and celebrated cricket’s never-quenched excitement since the IPL started. The 2017 ICC Champions Trophy is second only to the Cricket World Cup and since teams play for countries, for some – it’s a larger matter of pride at stake.

The Google doodle is a small flash cricket game where you play as a grasshopper against a team of snail fielders and one snail bowler. The objective is simple: click the mouse at the right time to make contact with the ball and scores 4s, 6s and 1 runs. If you miss the ball, you are out of the game. You can then compare scores with your friends. Just like the fun created around the Olympic doodles, Google aims to make its games the perfect tiny getaway for people stuck at work. In fact, the Olympic doodle games may have won more viewers than the Olympics themselves; considering how popular the games had become.

Yuvraj Singh is one happy camper right now. After years of hard work, he was finally able to make a comeback in the Indian ODI squad. Not only has he made a comeback, but he has also performed exceptionally well making his place in the Indian side a certainty. The Indian team has also been performing exceptionally well reaching the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy where they will face off against the highly unfancied Bangladesh side.

The Indian team are enjoying their stay in England and no one is happier than Yuvraj Singh. This is proven by a video which he posted on his Facebook account. In the video caption, Yuvraj Singh claims that he has ‘superpowers’ in which he is obviously having fun. What adds to the video is that the fact that it was captured by none other than Indian captain Virat Kohli.

The 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy has been heavily marred by rains in all the three venues; Birmingham, Cardiff and London. Many results could have been different had it not been for the rain and Australia will especially consider themselves as unlucky not to have made the semi-finals all down due to the inclement weather conditions in England.

The semi-final between England and Pakistan could also be affected by rains. Though the current weather predictions for the match are good, rain is never far away in any of British cities. So one should really not be surprised if rain comes and plays spoilsport in the encounter between England and Pakistan. There’s a good chance that the match could even get washed out, if the rain God’s have their way.

Before the semi-final encounter between India and Bangladesh in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, the Bangladeshi fans have gotten down to their old habits and insulted the Indian cricket team and their players on social media. What is more shocking is that not only the fans but also the Bangladeshi media has turned to name-calling the Indian players.

According to a report on Zee News, a Bangladeshi newspaper has printed an image of the Indian players with their head half-shaved with fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman holding a barber’s knife over them. Similar incidents were reported before the Asia Cup clash between India and Bangladesh.

England will fancy their chances of extending the search for an elusive major global ODI silverware despite drawing a mercurial Pakistan in the first semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy here on Wednesday.

Three-time World Cup finalists England have been trying for the past 42 years to lay claim to a trophy in a major 50 -over tournament.

In Eoin Morgan’s well-balanced unit, the world sees a chance for England to realise their dream.

Notwithstanding Pakistan’s remarkable turnaround after an embarrassing loss to arch-rivals India in their tournament opener in Birmingham hosts England will take to the field at Sophia Gardens with their nose ahead.England

England have come a long way in a short space of time since a humiliating first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.They thrashed Pakistan 4-1 in a bilateral ODI series last year at home, including a world record score of 444 for three at Trent Bridge, which provides ample proof of their resurgence in recent times in a format they are still in the process of mastering.

Done with the tough part of making it through the league phase, Indian captain Virat Kohli says opposition hardly matters in the Champions Trophy semifinal and final even though an India-England final is what everybody seems to want.

India will take on Bangladesh in the second semifinal on Thursday after England and Pakistan play out the first last- four clash tomorrow.

The Indian cricket captain was joined by some of his teammates, including former captain M S Dhoni, and coach bowler Anil Kumble at a special reception at the Lord’s Cricket Ground last evening.

The event was hosted by the Indian High Commission to mark the UK-India Year of Culture.

“It would not have mattered who we were playing in the semis. The league phase is the toughest. We have an opportunity to win one game and enter the finals. Everyone wants to see an India-England final. If both teams play well, people might get what they want to see,” he said.

Pakistan have been fined by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for maintaining slow over-rate against Sri Lanka in their final group stage match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, who played a match-winning knock of 61 not out was fined 20 per cent of his match fee, while his teammates were docked 10 per cent of their match fee for failing to complete the 50 overs on time. With this win, Pakistan made it to the semi-final of the tournament, where they will take on hosts England on Wednesday. Importantly for Pakistan, Sarfraz will not be suspended for Pakistan’s semi-final clash against England.

Sarfraz will have to be careful in the semi-final as a similar offence could see him miss the final of the tournament if Pakistan qualifies. Sarfraz and Mohammad Amir (28 not out) added 75 for the eighth wicket against Sri Lanka, which took Pakistan to a win on Monday. Chasing 237 for a win, Pakistan were in a spot of bother at 162-7in the 30th over. Pakistan did extremely well to restrict Sri Lanka to 236. Junaid Khan and Hasan Ali were the pick of the bowlers for them, picking up three wickets apiece.

Indian captain Virat Kohli, due to his blistering form in the ICC Champions Trophy has regained the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen. Josh Hazlewood has also taken massive strides in the rankings claiming the top spot in the ODI bowlers rankings. Kohli has leapfrogged both AB de Villiers and David Warner in the rankings.

Virat Kohli headed into the tournament 22 points behind number-one ranked AB de Villiers of South Africa and 19 points behind Australia’s David Warner. But both the batsmen endured poor form in the ICC Champions Trophy eventually culminating in both their teams being knocked out in the early stages of the tournament. Virat Kohli, on the other hand, has enjoyed a steady run with the bat scoring 81 not out against Pakistan and 76 not out against South Africa sandwiched between a duck against Sri Lanka.

The Indian High Commission in London was host to a reception on Monday for the Indian cricket team who are currently in England for the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Notable players were all present at the high-profile dinner, suited up for the occasion.

Former South Africa cricketer Ashwell Prince has come down hard of the South African Cricket Board and its cricketers for showing no zeal in the Champions Trophy 2017 after the national side was ousted from the tournament on June 11.

Prince through a series of tweets, lamented the attitude of the players, saying that despite top players playing in the South African team, the results are not going their way. He wrote in one of his tweets, “We go to the tournament with 4 of top 10 batsmen and top 2 bowlers in the world.We have the players, perhaps all that has to change is the attitude.”

The ICC Champions Trophy 2017 is heading towards an exciting culmination. One can expect some really thrilling matches and some unforgettable moments as the tournament comes to a close.

The time is apt to look back at some of the most memorable moments of the Champions Trophy over the course of its previous seven editions. Have a look.

New Zealand win their first ICC trophy, 2000:

India were favourites coming into the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2000 against New Zealand. They had beaten quality sides like Australia and South Africa earlier and looked better on paper. Asked to bat first in the final, India posted 264-6 courtesy a fine 117 by captain Sourav Ganguly. The total was good on a true Nairobi surface and the Indian bowlers had New Zealand struggling at 132-5. An Indian victory looked imminent but then Chris Cairns played the innings of his life. The burly Kiwi all-rounder smashed a terrific unbeaten 102 off 113 balls to take the game away from India. Some missed chances from India’s side and some fine batting from the opposition resulted in New Zealand reaching the target with just two balls to spare and hence clinching a thrilling final. It was and still is New Zealand’s first and only ICC trophy.

Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza sent a special message to her husband Shoaib Malik, before Pakistan’s match against Sri Lanka wishing her hubby all the best for playing his 250th match for Sri Lanka. Her message would have no doubt motivated Shoaib Malik and the Pakistan team, who mounted a brilliant comeback to beat Sri Lanka and book their berth in the semi-finals against England.

Sania Mirza’s message for Shoaib was posted by the official Facebook account of the Pakistan Cricket Team. In the video message, Sania said, “It shows his commitment to Pakistan, and to cricket. I’ve always known him to be someone full of passion for playing and representing his country, and it’s a very proud moment.”

Captain Sarfraz Ahmed stood up when his team needed him the most, scoring a handsome 61* in the tensest of situations to lead his side Pakistan home to a famous victory over Sri Lanka in a Group B encounter of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. Pakistan found themselves in dire straits at 162-7 but Sarfraz established a brilliant partnership with Mohammed Amir to book Pakistan’s berth in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy, where they will take on hosts England in the semi-finals in Cardiff. Pakistan chased Sri Lanka’s score of 236 down with 3 wickets in hand and 31 balls remaining.

Pakistan won the toss and put Sri Lanka in to bat first, a decision which was justified by the steady performance of the Pakistan bowlers. They restricted Sri Lanka to a meager score of 236 all out. All the frontline bowlers for Pakistan; Mohammed Amir, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan and Fahim Ashraf were brilliant in their spells for Pakistan never giving away an inch to the Sri Lankan batsmen.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2017 jerseys are definitely worth mentioning, especially in the current age of sports where everything matters on the field, including how good players look. While some team jerseys made the grade, others were lost in a strange transition between decadent and modern and ultimately turned out ugly. Here are our ratings, howzat (good) and not out (bad), by design:

Remember a Pakistani journalist Zainab Abbas? Well, in case you don’t don’t know, Zainab Abbas is a news presenter for Duniya News in Pakistan and it is she who became that ‘unlucky’ charm for the South African skipper AB de Villiers and the Indian sensation Virat Kohli in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Travelling back a bit, Zainab took a photograph with AB de Villiers just before the Proteas’ match against Pakistan and the 33-year-old hard-hitter went back to hut on duck and his side eventually lost. What followed next was nothing short of any sorcery. This time around, Zainab Abbas caught Indian skipper Virat Kohli and posted the photograph just before India’s encounter against Sri Lanka and there goes Virat Kohli back to the pavilion without even opening his account. And yes, India lost the encounter as well.

Zainab soon became a social media sensation and many of Twitteratis asked her to take a photograph with Sri Lanka’s skipper Angelo Mathew. The journalist accepted the task and did her job with perfection.

South African vice-captain Faf du Plessis has admitted that AB de Villiers getting run-out against India was his fault. South Africa choked badly in yet another big game and lost to India in a Group B encounter to get knocked out of the ICC Champions Trophy despite being one of the favourites to win the tournament. South Africa lost three wickets through a run-out, raising further questions as to whether they had the necessary mental strength to win the big games.

Faf du Plessis though took all the blame for running AB de Villiers out, which started the South African collapse. “I take full responsibility for AB’s run-out. That’s my fault. Obviously he (de Villiers) is a big player for us and he was looking good and it was a crunch time in the game. Big mistake on my part running AB out.”

Indian cricket team defeated South Africa by 8 wickets on June 11 to reach the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. They are expected to meet Bangladesh from Group A in the semi-final clash and India, will surely, start as the favourite team to win the match.

However, there is a good chance that India might race to the finals of the tournament if the game on June 15 against Bangladesh is washed out.

India’s net run-rate, at the moment, is a healthy 1.370, which is better than that of England’s (1.045). Bangladesh, who is expected to meet India in the June 15 clash in Edgbaston, has run-rate of 0. If the match is marred by rain and yields no result, India will automatically surge to the finals on the basis of better run-rate as there is no reserve day for the semi-finals.

Shane Warne was wearing the England jersey the entire day on June 11for losing a bet with former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. Warne during a TV cricket show had placed a bet with Ganguly that if Australia fails to win the match against England, he will wear an England jersey the whole day

Turned out, Australia, indeed, lost the match and with the loss their Champions Trophy campaign also ended. Warne tweeted after the loss that he was going to stand by his promise and will wear an England jersey.

As the ICC Champions Trophy enters its all-important last phase, teams would be gearing up to bring out their very best to clinch this coveted trophy. England has been the first team to reach the semi-final stage of the tournament and has remained unbeaten as of yet. In fact, they are looking in imperious touch and have been by and large the team to beat in the event.

There are reasons to believe, hence, that England are overwhelming favourites to win the Champions Trophy for the first time. Here is a look at five such reasons.

Recent ODI form:

Ever since their embarrassing ouster from the 2015 World Cup at the hands of Bangladesh, England has gone through an incredible transformation. They have made smart changes in the team and have changed their approach in ODIs with great effect. The results could be seen from last year itself as England began dominating all sides without much of a fuss. From notching up the highest ever ODI score (444/3 against Pakistan last year) to beating the World No.1 side South Africa 2-1 recently, England has been unstoppable. They are the only team in the Champions Trophy to have reached the semi-finals unbeaten and look the most well-rounded and confident side. It really will take something special to stop this England unit.

Sri Lanka will face off against Pakistan in a Group B encounter of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales with everything on the line in a match which has taken the importance of a virtual quarter-final. One could not have hoped for a better contest in the last match of the group stages as the winner of the match will take qualify for the semi-finals and will face off against England.

Nobody can predict which Pakistan team will turn up on any given day. But one would expect a charged up unit to turn out at the Sophia Gardens after their brilliant victory over South Africa through the D/L method at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Not many people gave Pakistan a chance to qualify out of the group but with India knocking South Africa out, it would be a brilliant achievement for the Pakistan team to qualify out of arguably, the tougher group in the Champions Trophy.

Team India put out a strong statement with a strong performance by comprehensively beating South Africa by 8 wickets in the virtual quarter-final. With this win, it’ll be India’s fifth consecutive semi-final appearance in ICC events, the joint second best streak for any team. For the majority of the game, India looked the stronger side right from the word go and looked more compact than South Africa in all the departments of the game. Another crunch game, another disastrous performance by South Africa and their legacy of choking in big matches has just added another chapter to its book.

When it mattered the most, the Indian team delivered. The men in blue were at their dominating best as they swatted aside a South African side, who again showed a lack of temperament on the big stage in a virtual quarterfinal in the ICC Champions Trophy. The result will again lead to questions being asked whether South Africa have it in them to win the big tournaments. India though will be hardly concerned with this and they will now looking forward to facing Bangladesh, in a match where they will be the undisputed favourites.

Twitter was full of praise for the Indian side for their dominating display against the South Africans. Here are some of the best reactions:

Indian business tycoon Vijay Mallya was heckled and booed heavily during the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 match between India and South Africa. Mallya visited the Kensington Oval in London to watch the match between India and South Africa. Indian fans reportedly shouted, “chor, chor” at him.

Vijay Mallya has been accused of absconding the country after he was widely reported to be arrested by the Indian authorities for various tax-related payments. He is now facing extradition proceedings in the UK courts to bring him back to India and bring him to justice. He was the owner of the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines and also owned various alcoholic beverages brands back in India. He also had an involvement in cricket owning the IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore. He still owns the Formula 1 team Force India. He allegedly still owes the Indian banks more than Rs 9000 crores.

India and South Africa are playing a virtual quarter-final in the ICC Champions Trophy match in the second-last group B game. It’s a must-win game for both sides and this is a game where key moments can turn the game on its head. It’s also a situation where the big players jump to the occasion. One such player is AB de Villiers.

South Africa have come up with a sub-standard performance against India in a crucial group game that was potentially a virtual quarter-final. India go into the second innings with a lot of psychological advantage.

South Africa have come up with a sub-standard performance against India in a crucial group game that was potentially a virtual quarter-final. India go into the second innings with a lot of psychological advantage.

India have stepped up their game in the must-win encounter against South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. The bowlers were terrific in their performance, not giving the world-class South African batting line-up an inch. South Africa could only register a score of 191 all out on the board, putting in a meek display in the big match, which will surely re-affirm their status as the biggest chokers in the game of cricket.

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur has denied reports that he and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq are not on the same wave-length when it comes to player fitness after the fiasco surrounding Umar Akmal’s exclusion from the Pakistan squad after failing three fitness tests in England.

Umar Akmal was first omitted from the Pakistan squad for the tour of West Indies for not meeting fitness expectations. He was still selected for the 15-man Pakistan squad for the ICC Champions Trophy after Inzamam-ul-Haq personally supervised his fitness session back in Pakistan. But after arriving in England, coach Mickey Arthur still wasn’t convinced by his fitness and banished him back to Pakistan.

The India versus South Africa encounter at The Oval on Sunday has been the much touted one of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. After all, it is the World No. 1 ranked team facing off against the World No.2. And given the way things have panned out in the tournament thus far, the match is now a virtual quarter-final with the winner taking a spot in the semi-finals of the event and the loser getting knocked out.

Over the years, both South Africa and India have had some memorable and thrilling ODI clashes. The Proteas have dominated India on many occasions, but India has had the upper hand in important matches. Here is a look at five true classic India-South Africa ODI encounters.

In what was a virtual quarter-final for Australia, the Kangaroos failed to live upto the billing and have been knocked out of the ICC Champions Trophy after being outclassed by England in every department. Winning the toss first, England skipper Eoin Morgan decided to chase down the target and the decision worked wonders for the 30-year-old.

England, who have already booked their place in the semi-final, had a good start as Mark Wood got the better of David Warner early in the game. However, a stable partnership between Aaron Finch and Steve Smith anchored a decent score for the Aussies before the former being the unfortunate enough to rush back to the pavilion. Moises Henrique soon followed Finch along with captain Steve Smith and this is when their middle order collapsed.

Courtesy to a brilliant inning from Travis Head, Australia lodged a decent score of 277 runs, with Head banging a whopping 64-ball 71.

After Chamara Kapugedera, the Sri Lankan cricket team has been dealt a major blow as Kusal Perera has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy due to injury. To fill the void, ICC’s Event Technical Committee has given a green signal to the allrounder Dhananjaya de Silva to come up as a replacement.

The left-handed batsman picked up a hamstring injury during his side’s encounter against India at The Oval on Thursday. The 26-year-old eventually went back to hut (retired hurt) while he was playing at 47. Forming a 75-run partnership with the skipper Angelo Mathews, the Lankan Lions went on to register a seven-wicket victory to their name, leaving the Men in Blue completely red-faced.

Confirming the news, Sri Lanka’s manager Asanka Gurusinha said that the injury sustained by the 26-year-old is actually worse than everyone expected it to be.

Virat Kohli will have to battle all the demons off the field and some even on it as India lock horns with South Africa in a virtual quarter-final showdown at the Oval in the Champions Trophy.

Since the past three days, (Not including today’s match between England and Australia), the tournament has come out alive with first, Pakistan battering South Africa against all odds, Sri Lanka giving India a mighty scare and to top it all, Bangladesh’s unbelievable victory over New Zealand. All in all, this has been one of the better tournaments of this edition with less one-sided finishes and more of crucial games and the even battle between bat

Australia set up a competitive score of 278 runs for the home side in what was a tensed inning for the Aussies. The visiting side lost David Warner early in the game, but both Finch and Smith anchored the innings, forming a respective partnership. Some back to back wickets cost the Kangaroos as their middle order failed to speak anything positive with the bat.

The score could have been quite less had it not been for Travis Head. The 23-year-old left-handed batsman steered his side well and stayed on track for the entirety of the inning, scoring a massive 64-ball 71. For England, the likes of Mark Wook and Adil Rashid proved out to be the clincher as both notched up four wickets, giving away only 33 and 41 runs in their allotted 10 overs respectively.

Virat Kohli faces one of the sternest tests in his captaincy career as India take on South Africa in the virtual quarter-final at the Oval tomorrow. While facing the press as posted by ICC on their Facebook account, Virat Kohli answered to some questions were waiting for.

When asked about playing Ashwin tomorrow with South Africa having three left-handers in their team, Virat said, “Yeah there are all kinds of possibilities. We definitely have looked at the last game and where we can make changes. We’ve already discussed those things. I’m not going to reveal it now but everything is possible. You can have any sort of combination possible tomorrow”.

Former Indian bowler Ajit Agarkar has heaped praises on the current Indian crop and has stated that the Men in Blues are one of the favourites to lift the ICC Champions Trophy mainly due to the fact that the players are in an impeccable form. The 39-year-old also added that some of the stature Ravichandran Ashwin failing to book his place in the first team is a prime example of how competitive and how brilliant the Indian attacking unit has been.

Praising the bowling crop, Agarkar – who notched up 288 wickets 191 in ODIs for India – said that this is the best bowling line-up in recent times, mainly due to the variety they have at their disposal.

“They (India) are one of the favourites because of the form the players have shown,” Agarkar told PTI in an interaction.

“As a combined attack, one of the best attacks we (India) had for a while. Even the ball has not swung in England, you got (Jasprit) Bumrah, Umesh (Yadav), variety is there, which helps the team always. Quite a complete attack. Not just balance, but there is variety, which makes captain’s life easier,” he added.

“At the start of the tournament some of the batters were not in a great form, but once the tournament started all the batsmen are in good form and bowlers are doing well. All the five bowlers are in good form. A guy like (Ravichandran) Ashwin not making the eleven tells you how well the bowling unit is doing.”

Pakistani left-arm spinner Imad Wasim concluded that had Pakistan shown more intensity in their game against India, the result could have been different than it turned out to be.

Pakistan have yet again proved why they’re one of them most unpredictable sides in cricket. After getting a 124-run thrashing at the hands of India, Pakistan breathed some life in this Champions Trophy by beating South Africa comprehensively in their previous game.

The New Zealand cricket team over the years have developed a status of being one of the ‘nice guys’ of the cricketing fraternity. You could even attribute some of that credit to Brendon McCullum who’s inculcated the habit of mixing caution off the field with aggression on the field. Just like how he would go down on one knee and scoop a fast bowler over the wicket-keeper, completely making a mockery of him but the next ball if he’s dismissed, he’ll have a wry smile on his face, appreciate the bowler’s effort and would humbly accept defeat.

After winning the toss in what was a virtual quarter-final, Kane Williamson chose to bat first as captains normally do in a crunch situation. There were no changes in the Kiwi team but Bangladesh made two changes, with one of them, Taksim Ahmed being one of the star players making a comeback into the side.

New Zealand lost early wickets but the captain, Kane Williamson who has been in imperious form in the Champions Trophy so far, put on a steady partnership with ex-captain Ross Taylor to coast the ship. While it’s no unknown fact that New Zealand’s lower middle order depth goes till their last bowler, they, in fact, could not handle the deceptiveness of the Bangladeshi bowlers and spinners and eventually, had to settle for a below par score of 265/8, with Neil Broom and James Neesham controlling the steering after Williamson’s and Taylor’s departure. It was the last ten overs where the Tigers gained up the momentum as the likes of Broom, Anderson, Neesham and Milne were shown their way back to the hut. Mosaddek Hossain rose high as the 21-year-old notched up three wickets in three overs and only conceded 13 runs.

Team-mates of both Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli, Harbhajan Singh has spoken on the apparent on-going tussle between the coach and the captain. Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble together have hunted many a wicket together in their prime during the early 2000’s and were considered one of the most lethal spinners, especially on Indian wickets.

Speaking to India Today, Harbhajan said, “I have known Kumble for so many years and he is an ideal man, I always go to him whenever I need any advice. He has interest if Indian cricket is on his mind and I know Virat as well. Both are very mature individuals.

South Africa captain AB de Villiers is currently nursing a hamstring injury and is a big doubt for India’s clash against South Africa. In South Africa’s previous game against Pakistan, AB de Villiers sustained a hamstring injury that looked quite serious at that time even though he continued to field in. But after a while though, he couldn’t go on and had to leave the field for a while.

Cricket South Africa had confirmed later in a statement that AB de Villiers will have to undergo a fitness test on Saturday to determine whether he’s fit or not. AB de Villiers hasn’t had big innings so far in the Champions Trophy. Basically, he’s been carrying his IPL form, which was dreadful, to begin with in the first place and would be desperate and would be itching to come back and play big innings.

New Zealand, winning the toss choosing to bat first, scored a below-par total of 265 runs on the board. The Black Caps had a decent start to their innings but lost two successive wickets in the span of 23 runs. Skipper Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor then stepped up to steady the ship, playing a partnership of 82 runs. The former, in the process, yet again proved his worth by scoring an impressive 69-ball 57 before being shown his way back to pavilion. Unlucky though.

Ross Taylor and Neil Broom then anchored a partnership, but the team failed to build anything positive on that. Coming to the last ten overs, the Black Caps lost the plot and lost successive wickets as well. Bangladesh bowlers, yet again, showed their class and restricted their opponents to just 265 runs. With that being said and done, here is how the Twitteratis react to New Zealand’s innings.

Australia will be desperately hoping to play a full game under clear skies when they face arch-rivals England in their must-win Champions Trophy clash here tomorrow.

While England are already through to the semifinals, all the pressure will be on Australia to perform after washouts against New Zealand and Bangladesh hurt their chances of making the last four.

Australia had to share points with both their previous opponents and now face a bizarre situation where they could be out of the tournament without playing a full game.

Rain threat over the crucial contest looms large as all three games here at Edgbaston have been affected by the weather, one being Australia-New Zealand washout while games between India and Pakistan, and South Africa and Pakistan, had to be curtailed.

“We are not invincible,” said India captain Virat Kohli as he tried to make sense of the stunning loss to Sri Lanka despite posting, what he thought, was a winning total in their Champions Trophy clash here. India set Sri Lanka a tough target of 322, which the islanders easily chased down with seven wickets in hand.

“I personally thought that we had enough on the board at the halfway stage. And I think our bowlers also bowled decently well. If the Lankan batsmen come out and play like that and everyone plays well, you have to give credit to the opposition as well. We are not invincible,” Kohli said at the post-match media conference here last night.

“We are playing against other sides who are also champion sides (in their own rights),” he reasoned. “There’s always hindsight. I thought we bowled decently.

But when you don’t execute properly, there is always food for thought. Here you have to give credit to the other team,” Kohli added. Kohli said that rather than criticising his colleagues, he would like to compliment the kind of batsmanship displayed by Sri Lanka yesterday.

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper/batsman Rashid Latif has lambasted Virender Sehwag for making sultry comments on Pakistan cricket team during the India-Pakistan contest in ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Latif, in a Facebook live video, mocked the Indian cricket team, saying that Sehwag has got the best answer after this defeat. Sehwag had earlier put a Tweet on his account, saying that Pakistan was India’s son.

The Board of Control for Cricket In India’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) has decided to retain Anil Kumble as the coach of the Indian side, NDTV reported.

The CAC comprising of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman is in favour of Kumble continuing as the coach and they are not keen on bringing another man to do the job. The report also said that a large section of BCCI officials is also favouring the decision. Only one BCCI official, who also happens to be close to former president N Srinivasan is against Kumble.

It is also reported that BCCI acting president CK Khanna and IPL commissioner Rajeev Shukla are against the removal of Kumble from the coaching job. This might just help the legendary leg-spinner to continue in his job.

New Zealand and Bangladesh meet each other in an important game today in Cardiff. The maths is simple here, the side which wins will still be in contention for a semi-final spot. Then it will be the match between England and Australia which will decide their fate. However, the focus of these two teams should not remain on the permutations and combinations but on winning this game today.

New Zealand will clearly start as favourites. Their bowling is looking quite good and skipper Kane Williamson is in supreme touch. The Kiwis are playing good cricket but they need some sort of luck going their way too. They were cruising to a win in their first match of the tournament against Australia before rain ruined the party. In the second game, New Zealand ran out of gas while chasing against England. Bangladesh will give them the ultimate test.

India has been beaten by Sri Lankans in their second Group B clash at The Oval and as unexpected as it sounds, this is the reality. When the tournament began, almost every cricket fans had guessed that India and South Africa will be the two teams going into the semifinals. But two upsets in two days, as Pakistan beat South Africa on Wednesday and Sri Lanka defeating India on Thursday, it turns out that either India or South Africa will go into the last 4. The Pakistan versus Sri Lanka game will decide the other semi-finalist from Group B.

But wait, the bafflement and surprise might not just end there. We all know that this edition of the Champions Trophy will be known more for the rain spoiling the day than matches going down the wire. And the rains have not left England yet. It could play a huge role in deciding who goes to the semis.

India and Pakistan, two words which will always be intertwined with one another no matter what the circumstances. The two countries have again found themselves with contrasting fates as India were stunned by Sri Lanka in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the ICC Champions Trophy. The result was all of the more disappointing for India as it denied them a chance to re-write the history books.

If India would have won the match against Sri Lanka, it would have been their 8th win on the trot in the ICC Champions Trophy. It would have been the longest winning streak in the history of the tournament. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be as Sri Lanka paced their innings brilliantly and won the match against India deservedly.

In the upset of the tournament so far, Sri Lanka have stunned India in the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy at the Kensington Oval in London. Heading into the game, India were undisputed favourites to win the game but Sri Lanka never lost their spirit in a professional run chase to leave the Indian team shell-shocked. Sri Lanka chased India’s total down with 7 wickets in hand and 8 balls remaining. India will now face a virtual quarter-final against South Africa, which they will have to win to qualify into the semi-finals of the tournament.

India first, courtesy of a century by Shikhar Dhawan and half-centuries by Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni registered a score of 321-6 on the board. Many people thought that after posting such a big score, the Indian bowlers would skittle out their Sri Lankan counterparts. But it wasn’t to be as India would have hoped for as a spirited Sri Lankan unit grinded the Indian bowlers out. Gunathilaka, Mendis, Perera, Mathews and Gunaratne all came up with brilliant knocks to easily chase down the India target.

In a weird coincidence in the ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan journalist Zainab Abbas, who is a news presenter for Duniya News in Pakistan, has turned out to be an unlucky charm for two of the premier batsmen in world cricket, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. Even Zainab herself has recognized this and taken it in a light hearted manner.

Before South Africa’s match against Pakistan, Zainab took a selfie with South Africa captain, AB de Villiers. What happened next? AB de Villiers got out for a golden duck against Pakistan.

Indian team continued their hot streak at the ICC Champions Trophy, posting a mammoth score of 321/6 on the board. It will be a very difficult task for a young Sri Lanka team to chase this score down against a world class Indian bowling attack on a big ground like the Oval. India will feel confident that they will defend the score and would register a second victory in their ICC Champions Trophy campaign.

Twitter went nuts as the Indian batsmen punished the hapless Sri Lankan bowlers. Here are some of the best reactions:

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has won the toss and elected to field first in a Group B encounter of the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy at the Oval in London. India have named an unchanged lineup heading into the match. Sri Lanka have made three changes including bringing back skipper Angelo Mathews, who is back from a long-term injury.

India will head into the match as firm favourites against an unfancied Sri Lanka side. Not many people are giving Sri Lanka much hope heading into the contest. India were brilliant in their opening game of the tournament. Sri Lanka were spirited in their game against South Africa, but in the end, their lack of quality was found out.

Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli said that Ravichandran Ashwin does not feel bad being dropped off from the team. Ashwin did not play the last game against Pakistan and instead, Ravindra Jadeja was picked in his place. Kohli, while speaking to the press, said that Ashwin understands the dynamics of the side and he was absolutely fine with being told to rest.

He said, “Ashwin is a top-class bowler. Everyone knows that. And he is very professional as well. He understands the dynamics of the side that was picked in the last game and he was absolutely fine with it. He (Ashwin) told me ‘I support you whatever you want to do.’ That’s always been our equation.”

Kohli said he has had disagreements with Ashwin but those were because both of them wanted to do well for India. He said, “Yes, we do have disagreements on bowling plans and all those sort of things because he is a very smart guy and he has his own plans in place. All those things happen. “

India’s Ravindra Jadeja and his wife Reeva have been blessed with a baby girl hours before Indian cricket team take on Sri Lanka in their second Champions Trophy clash in London.

Jadeja’s wife gave birth to a baby girl on Thursday morning in India. He had married Reeva in April 2016 after the end of the World T20.

The number 1 Test bowler is currently in England with the Indian team, playing in the ICC Champions Trophy. Jadeja had earlier said that it is tough being away from home and his wife at a time when he should have been there.

In 2015 ODI World Cup, the then Indian captain MS Dhoni was too on national duty when his wife Sakshi delivered the baby girl in the month of February.

On a day when Sri Lanka felt a little relaxed after captain Angelo Mathews announced himself fit for the remaining part of the Champions Trophy, another batsman Chamara Kapugedara failed the fitness test and has been ruled out of the tournament.

The Sri Lanka cricket board press release said, “Kapugedara had a heavy pounding on the right knee when he landed on it awkwardly during a fielding drill this morning, and “ radiographic investigation has revealed a meniscal tear coupled with an acute tendon injury. Tournament and SLC Medical experts have recommended a supervised convalescence of two weeks, followed by a review of the injury.”

The right-handed batsman has played 8 Tests, 97 ODIs, and 43 T20Is for Sri Lanka and was included in the Champions Trophy Squad to bring some experience in the middle-order. He had not played a single ODI since the 2015 World Cup. In his first match in 2 years, he scored a duck against South Africa to a brilliant wrong one from leggie Imran Tahir.

One thing that always makes for a great game of cricket is the matching abilities of two teams. But what if one team out of the two fails to match the other’s team calibre? Ask Sri Lanka here, a team struggling to cope up with the pressure of international cricket. They will be meeting the in-form Indians, who have forgotten what a defeat means. Not many teams have been able to come too close to India in terms of quality across all formats. On the contrary, Sri Lanka have done just the opposite. They lack fire and juice. They have shown trailers of their brilliance but have failed to release the full picture.

On Thursday, India will turn up at Kennington Oval as firm favourites against Sri Lanka. They can be upset about it or they could be relaxed to start as underdogs. They should know that they can be called underdogs but can never be counted out. Sri Lanka have played the ICC tournaments wonderfully and history backs this statement. They were the semi-finalists last year and this is the reason why they cannot be taken lightly by Indians.

In the Group B encounter of the ICC Champions Trophy between Pakistan and South Africa, the Proteas have surprised one and all by donning a yellow jersey. South Africa are associated with their traditional green jersey’s which has been worn by some legendary players and is still wore by some of the best players in the world like AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis. The mystery of the yellow jersey has finally been revealed by the South African team itself.

Posting on their official Twitter handle, the South African Cricket team said:

South Africa AB de Villiers has won the toss and elected to field first in a Group B encounter of the ICC Champions Trophy between South Africa and Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham. South Africa have named an unchanged lineup. Pakistan have made two changes in their lineup, bringing in Fakhar Zaman and Junaid Khan for Ahmed Shehzad and Wahab Riaz.

Pakistan looked underwhelming in their heavy loss against India and will have to up their performances by a big margin if their are to harbour any hopes of beating a balanced and dangerous South Africa side. Unlike Pakistan, South Africa looked to have covered all their bases in their opening match of the tournament against Sri Lanka where they eventually ran out as comfortable winners. On paper, they look one of the best sides in the tournament with a world class batting, bowling and fielding unit. They will now look forward to their skipper AB de Villiers finding some form and in such a scenario, the whole complexion of the tournament could change as on his day, the South African remains the most dangerous player in ODI cricket.

Harbhajan Singh feels that Pakistan cricket team is no more the same. After Pakistan lost to India by a huge margin of 124 runs, the Indian off-spinner said that he does not think Pakistan is a good side anymore.

He believes that India versus Pakistan game was more of a practice game than a normal game. He said, “It felt like a practice game to be honest. There wasn’t any competition, Pakistan is not the same side anymore. It will take them, I don’t know what to, get back to what they were about 15 years back. It’s a sad feeling to see where they are going with their cricket. Obviously, I’m really happy the way things have gone for India and I’m looking forward to the game against South Africa.”

It was not just him but former Pakistani players too lambasted the Pakistan team after their shambolic performance against India in the fourth Champions Trophy clash.

England legend Geoffrey Boycott has warned the Indian Cricket to improve their fielding or risk losing the big matches in the ICC Champions Trophy. He praised India’s batting and bowling efforts but believed that there’s a lot of work to be done in the fielding department if India are to lift the ICC Champions Trophy.

The highly anticipated encounter between India and Pakistan turned out to be a one-sided contest, with India outplaying Pakistan in both the batting and bowling departments of the game. But both teams were equally woeful when it came to ground fielding and catching.

Wahab Riaz was injured in the Champions Trophy game against Pakistan as he hurt his ankle while bowling in the 9th over of his spell. The injury is going to keep Wahab out for two weeks more and by that time the Champions Trophy will be over. PCB had made a request to the ICC’s Event Technical Committee to allow for a replacement for Wahab which has now been accepted.

The PCB selectors met on Tuesday to discuss the possible names for replacement of Wahab. There were two names which were doing the rounds in the meeting, that of Rumman Raees and Mohammad Abbas. Raees was preferred over Abbas for his ability bowl in death overs and having a relatively better strike rate in limited overs cricket.

Pakistan face a do-or-die situation when they take on one of the favourites for the tournament South Africa in a Group B encounter at Edgbaston in Birmingham in the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan looked underwhelming in their heavy loss against India and will have to up their performances by a big margin if their are to harbour any hopes of beating a balanced and dangerous South Africa side.

Unlike Pakistan, South Africa looked to have covered all their bases in their opening match of the tournament against Sri Lanka where they eventually ran out as comfortable winners. On paper, they look one of the best sides in the tournament with a world class batting, bowling and fielding unit. They will now look forward to their skipper AB de Villiers finding some form and in such a scenario, the whole complexion of the tournament could change as on his day, the South African remains the most dangerous player in ODI cricket.

Hosts England have already put out a strong statement in contention for winning the Champions Trophy by thrashing New Zealand by 88 runs. With this victory, England has gone to 4 points from 2 game and are now through to the semi-finals. There was an aura of dominance in the way England have gone about their game today and have left the New Zealand, battered and bruised, with just one game left for them. With this result, New Zealand and Bangladesh will hope that Australia lose to England with which, their game becomes a virtual quarter-final.

On a pitch that started to show some uneven bounce in the 2nd innings, New Zealand chose to field first but that plan backfired on them heavily. Not only was the pitch to blame in the 2nd innings, but England’s disciplined performance in the field and ball didn’t do any good to the Kiwis. It was again a solid performance from England as their entire top order clicked against a difficult bowing side. Joe Root was yet again on fire and is proving to be quite the player to watch out for.

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has praised current Indian captain for his emotion and passion for the game and also has claimed that his these attributes reflect in his captaincy. Kohli and his aggression was in full display in India’s opening encounter in the ICC Champions Trophy against Pakistan, as India romped home to a comfortable victory over Pakistan.

Clarke, who knows a thing or two about aggressive captaincy was full of praise for the Indian captain, telling India Today, “You see his passion and his emotion when he bats. You can also see that in his captaincy.”

Former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoini has taken major potshots at the ICC’s decision to persist with the Duckworth-Lewis method. The 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy has been marred by rain delays due to inclement weather conditions in London and Birmingham, with most games being interrupted by rain.

The ICC for this has been criticized in various circles for holding the tournament in England, a country which has gained great infamy for its unpredictable weather. They have also been criticized for persisting with Duckworth-Lewis, a method which has been branded outdated and obsolete by many experts. The method arguably cost New Zealand a victory over Australia and then Australia a victory over New Zealand.

Pakistan have made two changes to their squad for the game against South Africa in the Champions Trophy game. Highly acclaimed batsman, Fakhar Zaman is in for Ahmed Shehzad. Wahab Riaz has been replaced by Junaid Khan in Pakistan’s squad as well. The announcement was made by Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed in the pre-match conference on ICC’s Facebook page.

It’s a very important game for Pakistan and could virtually rule them out of the Champions Trophy if they lose tomorrow. When a journalist asked Sarfraz about Pakistan’s performance against India, Sarfraz said, “It’s an India-Pakistan game and 4-5 guys were probably playing for the 1st time against India. It’s possible that they crumbled under pressure. We’ve tried our best to boost their moral ahead of tomorrow’s game and the mood in the camp is really good right now. We’ve also had a team meeting briefly today and efforts are being made to make the youngsters forget it (the match against Pakistan).

Australian leg-spinning legend Shane Warne said that he is keen to work with Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli but he also knows that the Indian cricket board cannot afford him as he is too expensive.

Warne was quoted as saying on Zeenews.com, “I am very expensive, I don’t think they (BCCI) can afford me. Virat Kohli and me can have a good partnership, but as I said, I am very, very expensive.”

The Indian cricket team coaching job is open again after BCCI thought to ask for proposals from coaches world around. Present Indian coach Anil Kumble’s term will end after the end of the Champions Trophy 2017. Indian team goes directly to West Indies to take part in ODI and T20I series.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has won the toss and elected to field first in a Group A encounter of the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy between England and New Zealand at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales. New Zealand have named an unchanged lineup from the last game against Australia for this match. England have brought in leg-spinner Adil Rashid for Chris Woakes.

The outcome of the match will likely determine who tops the Group, with England sealing their qualification in the semi-finals with a victory. The match will also be a straight contest between two of the best batsmen in world cricket today; Joe Root and Kane Williamson. Both of them are in brilliant form, scoring centuries in their first match against Bangladesh and Australia respectively.

Australian opening batsman David Warner became the third quickest to 4000 ODI runs on Monday against Bangladesh during the Champions Trophy clash. Both of them reached the landmark in 93 ODI innings. At the top of the list is Hashim Amla who reached the 4000 ODI milestone in 81 innings followed Vivian Richards who took 88 innings to reach there.

Warner scored an unbeaten 40 in the match while chasing 183 runs posted by Bangladesh batting first. Australia were chasing the total well with Warner and captain Steve Smith (22*) taking the team close to the target. The Kangaroos were 83 for 1 in 16 overs when rain played the spoilsport. The players ran back to the dressing room to never come back again in the day. The game was then called off after the cut-off time was reached and the rain became too heavy to stop.

It was a heartbreak for Australia who must be fuming by not seeing a proper result at the end of the day. This was the second match in the tournament for them to be called off in this fashion. Australia now has 2 points from 2 games with only one against England remaining, which automatically becomes a must-win game for them in the Champions Trophy.

Pakistan bowler Wahab Riaz has been ruled out of Champions Trophy 2017 with an ankle injury. His replacement has yet not been announced by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Pakistan were handed an embarrassing defeat by defending champions India on June 4 in Birmingham as they lost the match by 124 runs. This loss is a double blow for them.

Wahab had a bad match as he leaked 87 runs in 8.4 overs in the match. While bowling the fifth ball of the ninth over he fell in hid delivery stride and injured his ankle and eventually left the field.

PCB through a press statement said that Wahab will be out of the field for a minimum of two weeks due to the ankle injury.

The press release said, “Wahab Riaz twisted his ankle in yesterday’s (Sunday’s) ICC (International Cricket Council) Champions Trophy match against India,” said a Pakistan Cricket Board statement. A scan has confirmed that Wahab Riaz suffered a deltoid ligament complex after an injury whilst bowling during the India v Pakistan match on June 4.”

In the India versus Pakistan clash, India’s absconding businessman Vijay Mallya was seen attending the match. It raises many eyebrows as Mallya has been caught on corruption charges and he has not paid a huge amount of Rs 9000 crore to Indian banks. He has cases registered on him of embezzlement, debt recovery and foreign exchange transgression.

His attendance shows that the business tycoon is fearless and is roaming free in England. Not only did he attend the India-Pakistan match but he also took to Twitter to announce that he will be coming to watch the remaining of India games in the tournament as well.

Mallya was arrested on April 18 by the Scotland Yard in London and was produced in the Westminster Magistrates’ Court. He got out through a conditional bail by paying £650,000. He is set to be produced before the court again on June 17.

It will a battle of the two in-form sides in Group A, as hosts England will take on New Zealand in the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales. The outcome of the match will likely determine who tops the Group, with England sealing their qualification in the semi-finals with a victory.

The match will also be a straight contest between two of the best batsmen in world cricket today; Joe Root and Kane Williamson. Both of them are in brilliant form, scoring centuries in their first match against Bangladesh and Australia respectively.

The bowling attacks of both the teams are also strong, which will likely lead to an even contest between the bat and the ball. England though will be weakened in the department, losing Chris Woakes for the entire duration of the tournament with a side strain. Steven Finn has replaced the all-rounder in the squad.

Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar claims that India winning the match against Pakistan was not a surprise to him as the Pakistan cricket team were short on quality and class players. He also said that the highly anticipated match between India and Pakistan turned out to be a damp squid.

The match between India and Pakistan wasn’t much of a contest with India largely dominating the game for long periods with the bat and the ball. Sunil Gavaskar praised the performance of the Indian team for performing up to the expectations. Speaking to NDTV, he said, “But that was in a way to be expected. Because Pakistan (are) short on experience, and short on a class as far as their batting is concerned. Their bowling’s been okay, but as far as the batting is concerned… there is a lot of room for improvement.”

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has won the toss and elected to bat first in a Group A encounter in the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy at the Oval in London. Bangladesh have one change in their lineup, bringing in off-spinner Mehedi Hasan. Australia have also opted to bring in a spinner in Adam Zampa instead of John Hastings.

Australia start the match as firm favourites despite a subdued performance against their Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand, in a game in which rain saved their blushes. Bangladesh though will be no pushovers as the contest against favourites England suggests, where they pushed the home side to their limit. Australia will thus have to be on their guards as any complacency could lead to a major upset leading to them being knocked out of the tournament. A loss for Bangladesh will also lead to them being knocked out. So this is an enticing contest and whoever loses will have to pack their bags for an early flight out of England.

Ravindra Jadeja produced a beautiful performance against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy clash. But his best performance came after the team was going back to the hotel in the bus when he clicked a sleeping MS Dhoni who was sitting behind him.

The picture is hilarious and cute at the same time. This is a never-seen-before MS Dhoni, who is caught sleeping in the team bus.

In the blockbuster clash of the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy in England between India and Pakistan, India were utterly dominant throughout the contest against their bitter rivals. Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, captain Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan were all stars of the show of the Indian innings. One person who was lost in the shuffle thohj was Hardik Pandya, whose cameo at the end completely shifted the momentum towards India. He smashed spinner Imad Wasim for three consecutive sixes in the final over.

These were not only sixes, but a statement of India’s intent. They wanted to take a hold of the game by the scruff of the neck and with Pandya’s three sixes in the final over, did exactly that. The sixes not only sap Pakistan’s already brittle confidence, but also took them out of the game completely.

Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has trolled Ex-India captain Sourav Ganguly and spin wizard Shane Warne in one tweet. On Monday, Sehwag posted a collage on Twitter in which Ganguly and Warne were seen taking a nap.

Sehwag, being the notorious mind that he is, snapped them on his mobile phone and wasted no time in uploading these pictures on his social media. The funniest was the caption he wrote: “The future is shaped by one’s dreams. These legends still don’t waste time in following their dreams. Sone ka Maza.”

ndian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has dedicated his match-winning innings against Pakistan to the survivors of the deadly disease, cancer throughout the globe. Yuvraj Singh is a cancer survivor himself and has taken part in various charities for cancer patients. He also has a special bat designed which promotes his cancer charity.

He dedicated his innings to the survivors on his social media platform of Twitter. Here’s what he tweeted:

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli said that he felt like a club batsman in front of Yuvraj Singh in Sunday’s clash against Pakistan in Birmingham on June 4.

In the post-match presser, Kohli said, “Yuvi took pressure off when I couldn’t get runs. The way he was hitting the ball, I felt like a club batter in front of him. With the bat and ball, right up there – I would say nine out of 10. In the field we were still 6 today. Very strong performance, we’ve taken the confidence from the practice games.”

The Indian captain was all praise for India’s bowling and batting performances. However, he came downs strongly on shabby Indian fielding that was on display in Birmingham on Sunday. He said, “We need to tighten our fielding to compete hard against the best teams. Quite delighted with all batsmen chipping in with runs. Shikhar and Rohit – last time we won here, the opening partnership was cruci

Yuvraj Singh was not feeling when he landed in England. He missed the two practice games which are considered as important as the league games when you are touring abroad as these games help you get the feel of the pitch and conditions. He did not get them, courtesy bad health.

He got well in time and prepared himself in the shortest possible time for the big game against Pakistan on June 4. He came out to bat in the 37th over of the innings and at a time when India needed to up the tempo of the innings. It isn’t so easy for a batsman touring England to start firing from the first ball, especially for someone who is coming out of illness and an injury. Yes, Yuvraj was hit on his hand by a practice delivery during the net session.

Yuvraj was playing his first match in Indian colours after a gap of 6 years. He was last there as part of an India squad in 2011. Since then India toured England once in 2013 for Champions Trophy and then in 2014 but he was not part of the squad. So, this knock in England had to wait for almost 6 years. And it was not easy for him to make it happen.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi blasted his team players for putting up a below average performance against India in their first Champions Trophy match in Birmingham on June 4. Pakistan were bowled out for a meagre 164 while chasing India’s mammoth total of 320.

Afridi through a series of tweets said that the gap between India and Pakistan in terms of quality of cricket is the reason of the big loss that came in hands of Pakistanis.

In another one-sided India-Pakistan match, just like the 2015 World Cup game, India thrashed Pakistan mercilessly in the 2nd game of Group B of the Champions Trophy by 124 runs. There were many hopes pinned on this Sunday blockbuster but eventually, from a neutral’s perspective, it turned out to be a dull affair for a cricket fan.

After winning the toss, Sarfaraz Ahmed had no hesitation in choosing to field first just like he’s always done for the national team as well as the PSL team he’s been the captain of. India with their top order, which literally won them the Champions Trophy in 2013, yet again provided a fine start with Rohit Sharma surviving a brilliant first over from Mohammad Amir and Shikhar Dhawan settling down from the other end. Virat Kohli didn’t look at his stroke-making fluent best but did what the team required of him. Just hanging in there and making sure that India were always in contention of making a big score. With the rains making an appearance here and there, India had to make sure they put up a strong total in order to make it difficult for Pakistan to chase down a D/L method.

India came up with the goods again, beating Pakistan yet again in an ICC tournament. India went into the contest as heavy favourites and despite many rain interruptions, India were not to be deterred as they came out all guns blazing against Pakistan to register a historic victory over their rivals.

Twitter erupted in joy, celebrating India’s victory. Here are some of the best reactions:

Indian cricket team posted a big total against Pakistan which will always be a difficult task for them to chase. It was earlier Rohit Sharma who laid the foundation at the start, playing a beautiful knock of 91 runs which came off 119 balls. The big hitting began when he got out unfortunately through a run-out. Yuvraj started hitting the balls all over the park once his eyes was set. Virat Kohli then joined him in hitting those massive hits.

He was not able to middle the balls as he used to but one six of Wahab Riaz changed everything.

Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag relived his favourite India-Pakistan moment on Twitter. Speaking on a question posted by his fan asking which was his favourite moment, he said, “My favourite India-Pakistan moment was 2003 World Cup match when Pakistan posted 284 runs batting first and we chased those runs and Tendulkar played beautiful innings, making 98 runs. That match was my favourite India-Pakistan moment.”

Indian filmmaker and Vice President of Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association has called for India to boycott the match against Pakistan in the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy. He stated that Pakistan’s continuous aggression on the border against Indian soldiers have led to many lives being martyred and this is the reason why the Indian players should refuse to play against Pakistan.

Pandit wrote on his personal Twitter account, “Dear cricketers, while you are busy playing with Pak. The families of martyrs who sacrificed their lives yesterday are crying. Boycott India-Pakistan match. It’s an insult to all those who have lost their lives because of Pakistan.”

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif trolled the Pakistani cricket team on Twitter as the India-Pakistan match was on. Pakistan were not fielding up to the mark in the Sunday’s game and this made Kaif take his disappointment out.

Kaif wrote: “Somethings never change. Pakistan and their fielding woes.” He had earlier written that Pakistan are dropping catches and this would make their case worse in this situation.

Middlesex fast bowler Steven Finn has been called up by the England cricket team to replace the injured Chris Woakes in their squad. Woakes was earlier ruled out from the ICC Champions Trophy after injuring himself in England’s opening game against Bangladesh. He could only bowl two overs in the match and further scans revealed that he had suffered a side strain.

Steve Finn has had a fairly inconsistent career representing the English team. He has always been regarded as a big prospect by the English fans but has struggled for consistency, being in and out of the squad. But England have decided to put faith in him once again, deciding him to call him up instead of the experienced Stuart Broad and highly promising prospects such as Tom Curran and Toby Roland-Jones.

Indian cricket team is playing their first match against Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and there has been a lot of banter going on off the field.

One Pakistani fan on Twitter has crossed all the boundaries. Called by the name ‘Oh Bhains’, this Pakistani Twitter account wrote, “If Pakistan win today, I’ll fly to Mumbai and wave a Pakistani flag in front of Sachin’s house.”

Due to the terrorist attack in London, the city has been put under high alert. It is reported that the hotel in which the Indian team was staying has been under lockdown since the attack. As per a report published on NDTV.com, the traffic near the hotel has been curbed as well.

India currently are in Edgbaston, which is 210 kms away from London where the attacks took place. This is the second terror attack in the London city in two months.

Rain a threat too

The attacks are saddening and scary however it is the rain which is concerning the cricketers from both the sides and not the bullets. If it rains today and there is no result than the points will be shared between the two sides. This will definitely be a big boost for the Pakistani team who are underdogs in this game.

Amidst the hoopla and terror attacks, the excitement of the India-Pakistan match is still there. India have a great edge over Pakistan on paper but Champions Trophy history suggests that Pakistan have won more games than India in the past whenever the two sides took on each other in the tournament.

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed has won the toss and elected to field first in the highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan in a Group B encounter of the ICC Champions Trophy in Edgbaston, Birmingham. India have opted to go into the match with four pacers, which means that Ravichandran Ashwin misses out. Pakistan have decided to leave out Faheem Ashraf from their lineup.

India start the blockbuster clash as heavy favourites but the build-up to the game has been mostly dominated by talk of a rift between captain Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble. This has given Pakistan the opportunity to quietly go about their business in the practice sessions while the Indian camp deals with the media refuting these reports. This might work in favour of the Pakistan team as they have had the time to concentrate on improving in all the areas of their game, instead of bickering in the media.

An India versus Pakistan game is can never be weighed lightly. Neither by the players nor by the cricket fans. Things have not been too sweet between the two nations and from both sides of the border, the call for the cancellation of this match due to tension at the border has been doing the round.

However, the match will go on and players will be looking forward to this big game.

We look at five players who can make a big difference in this game:

Virat Kohli: The Indian cricket team captain has been in news for all the wrong reasons and the time has come when his willow should do the talking and not the controversies. Pakistani players have already said that Virat’s wicket will be the most important wicket. No wonder Virat Kohli’s runs will hurt Pakistan.

Jasprit Bumrah: India’s death over specialist with the ball will have to step up if the game goes in the final overs. It is tough to read Bumrah’s slower ones and his Yorkers are almost unplayable for he bowls with a unique action. Pakistan will need to focus on him more than any other Indian bowler.

South Africa justified their tags as one of the favorites to win the ICC Champions Trophy by beating a Sri Lankan unit which looked under the radar for most parts in the game. South Africa put into bat first scored 299/6 in their 50 overs. Sri Lanka in reply could only put up a score of 203 all out on the board. With this, South Africa won the match by 96 runs and top Group B with the other two teams in the group, India and Pakistan facing off tomorrow.

Hashim Amla was the undisputed star of the show, being at his elegant best scoring 103 off 115 balls. In the process, he broke another record of Virat Kohli’s, becoming the quickest man in ODI history to score 25 hundreds. The pitch at the Kensington Oval was not as easy to bat on as the pitch which was on offer for the match between Bangladesh and England. The South Africa batting order boasting of some of the best stroke makers in the world could not time many deliveries and could only post 299 runs on the board.

India captain Virat Kohli today termed the worry about getting a perfect bowling combination in place as a “good headache” to have going into ICC Champions Trophy opener against Pakistan here tomorrow.

“I think that’s been on my mind in the last five or six days. The most out of anything else, you know, who to play, because in both the (warm-up) games all the guys have bowled beautifully and the attack looks really balanced. But how they come into the equation, as apart from an all-rounder, you can only play four bowlers,” Kohli said at the pre-match press conference.

“There are all kinds of possibilities — two spinners, two fast bowlers, three fast bowlers, Hardik and a spinner. So we will see what the wicket is like and what we feel is going to match up well against the opposition. The intensity was right up there (during warm-ups), and that’s something that was really nice to see for me as a captain. It’s a good headache to have,” said Kohli.

Cliched it may sound, Kohli finds an Indo-Pak match just like any other match. “Nothing different, to be honest. I know it sounds pretty boring, but this is exactly what we feel as cricketers. We are not saying anything different to what we feel. And for us it’s a matter of executing what we know best regardless of who we are playing against. And I’m sure every team thinks like that.”

Pakistan pacer Junaid Khan, opener Fakhar Zaman and middle-order batsman Haris Sohail have been left out of the 12-man squad announced to face India in the blockbuster ICC Champions Trophy tie at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Sunday. The news will come as a massive blow to the players, who would have dreamed of representing their country in the big game against their arch-rivals India,

The news will especially come as a shock to pacer Junaid Khan, who made some derogatory comments about Virat Kohli, in the build-up to the encounter. Khan was of the belief that dismissing Indian skipper and the premier ODI batsman in the world today, Virat Kohli, would not have been an issue for him, considering his prior successes against the Indian captain.

Former South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini has come out in praise of former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, claiming one can never count the wicket-keeper batsman out. Makhaya Ntini plied his trade with MS Dhoni earlier in the IPL in Chennai Superkings. Makhaya Ntini also spoke highly about India’s pace bowling attack, especially Bhuvneshwar Kumar heading into the ICC Champions Trophy.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, the legendary pace bowler said on Dhoni, “You never doubt Dhoni. He can never be finished. That guy can take the game away any given time. You give him the game, he’ll do what he wants to do. He’s a legend. The moment you write him off, he rises up.”

The blockbuster contest between India and Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham might well get washed out due to rain predictions in the English city of Birmingham. In a best case scenario, the billions of fans who are eagerly awaiting this encounter could expect a rain curtailed contest.

According to weather predictions, constant light drizzle is expected in Birmingham from 12 p.m to 3 p.m local time, smack in the middle of the contest. The forecast could obviously change but Birmingham doesn’t have the best track record in terms of the weather. The first match in the city between Australia and New Zealand also had to be called off due to persistent rain delays.

A few days back, floods and mudslides hit the tropical island of Sri Lanka and nearly half a million people lost their homes. More than 150 people were killed, while a more than 100 were reported missing. As per the reports, this widespread flooding was worst than the torrential rains that hit the nation back in 2003. The further reports claim that more than 1,800 homes were damaged and near to 442,000 lives have been affected.

The disaster was so intense that some places were even 18-feet under water and the rescue team had to send boats to search for the survivors. Indian as well as Pakistan naval ships arrived at the island with medical supplies and also helped the victims to reach the safer places.

In the midst of this, their Lions (the national cricket team) are plying their trade in the ICC Champions Trophy and are up against one of the firm favourites of the tournament, South Africa. Winning the toss first, the Lankan Lions – who certainly are the underdogs of the tournament – decided to field first. Well, that was a usual sight seeing them coming on to the field, but what has made them odd in today’s fixture is the fact that they are wearing a black armband. The reason is that the Slankans are paying tribute to the ones who lost their lives on this deadly disaster.

Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar will be now be launching his cricket analysis career by being a part of the commentary box in the blockbuster match between India and Pakistan of the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy. Tendulkar has been very pro-active since his retirement from cricket, making a successful biopic, launching an app, a smartphone in his name and now trying his hands out in cricket analysis.

According to a report in Pune-based tabloid Pune Mirror, Sachin Tendulkar will be part of a star-studded panel for broadcasters Star Sports for the clash between India and Pakistan. His involvement will be kept as a surprise till the last minute and he will be a part of the Hindi panel, as ICC handles the English stream throughout the globe. The panel will include other superstars such as Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar and Saba Karim. A couple of Pakistani commentators are also expected to be a part of the panel.

Sri Lankan stand-in captain Upul Tharanga has won the toss and elected to field first in the first match of Gropu B encounter of the 2017 edition of ICC Champions Trophy between South Africa and Sri Lanka at Kensington Oval in London. Sri Lanka are playing three seamers while Lasith Malinga is back in the playing XI as well.

AB de Villiers says that they wanted to bowl first as well but says that they are well prepared for the game and hopes to do little damage in the 1st two overs itself. Says that they are very excited for the tournament and they’re ready to go. Morne Morkel is in along with David Miller in the team.

Anil Kumble’s blooming career as head coach of Team India is all set to end after the end of Champions Trophy as per a report by Hindustan Times. With major reports of a rift between Indian captain Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble just increasing day by day and with both the parties putting up a stoic silence, it’s pretty evident that there cannot be any smoke without any fire.

The same report from HT also indicates that even though the BCCI has given Anil Kumble a direct entry into the applications list for the position of head coach, they are not going to renew his contract post the Champions Trophy in spite of Team India having a successful string of victories under him.

ustralian captain Steve Smith had no hesitation in slamming his bowlers after a lucky escape last night against New Zealand at Edgbaston in the 2nd Champions Trophy game of 2017. After losing the toss, Australia conceded 291 runs in 45 overs in what was eventually a wash-out, with both teams earning 1 point each. Even though Australian bowling wasn’t all that great but Steve Smith tore into them in the post-match conference.

“We obviously still had some batters in the shed that can certainly play when you need to be chasing a total like that. But probably certainly would have preferred to be in New Zealand’s position when we came off the end there. We still had a lot of work to do and they’ve got a quality bowling attack as well. So we perhaps got away with one there”

The highly anticipated encounter of Group A of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy between Trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand at Edgbaston in Birmingham was abandoned due to heavy rains. Only New Zealand’s innings of 46 overs and 8.3 overs of Australia’s batting was possible before the organizers took a call of abandoning the match.

It is a repeat of the 2013 edition as even on that occasion the match between Australia and New Zealand had to be called off at the same venue due to rain. Despite the frequent interruptions, the spectators in the stadium got to witness a batting masterclass by New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. He scored a brilliant 100 off 97 deliveries, propelling New Zealand to a total of 291 all out. It was indeed after Williamson’s wicket, that New Zealand endured a collapse, else a 325 total seemed like a given.

South Africa and Sri Lanka will meet in the first match of Group B at the Kensington Oval in London in the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy. South Africa will start the match as heavy favourites against a Sri Lankan unit without their influential skipper Angelo Mathews and a team which is in transition.

South Africa head into the tournaments as one of the favourites to lift the trophy, but they will have the tag of perennial chokers hanging over their heads. They will have to show mental steel and resolve in the big moments, which they have failed to do on many occasions, in order to go all the way in the tournament.

Sri Lanka on the other hands don’t have the weight of expectations hanging over their heads, which could well turn out to be a massive bonus for them. They will feel that with other teams taking them lightly, they could deliver a heavy jolt to them.

Kamal Rashid Khan certainly needs no introduction. Known for his rave reviews and controversial Twitter statements, this famous actor recently gave his analysis of S. S. Rajamouli’s Bahubali 2, and just when everyone thought that this was it, the 42-year-old ‘superstar’ again came up in the controversies after giving his review on the recently released Sachin – A Billion Dreams.

He said: So #SachinABillionDreams is made by all old available videos of Sachin, means it’s a real documentary of him. Sorry I can’t Jhelo it at all.

With every single spectator now eagerly waiting for one of the most anticipated fixtures in India vs Pakistan of the ICC Champions Trophy, Mr. Kamal R Khan has yet again grabbed all the limelight head of the game. This time around, however, he has been a complete patriotic figure. Supporting the Men in Blues, he has tweeted, “I can say with 100% guarantee that Indian cricket team will defeat Pakistan team badly on 4th June to win #ChaimpionsTrophy! #JaiHind”

In the Trans-Tasman encounter between Australia and New Zealand, New Zealand won the toss and elected to field first. Kane Williamson’s decision was spot on as he led from the front with a brilliant century to propel New Zealand to a score of 291 all out.

Twitter applauded New Zealand and Williamson’s efforts as they put up a competitive score on the board. Special praise was also reserved for Josh Hazlewood who produced a stunning display of fast bowling picking up six wickets on a flat wicket. Here are some of the best reactions.

Flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi says a well-balanced India holds the edge over Pakistan in the marquee clash of the Champions Trophy on Sunday.

“As a passionate Pakistan supporter, it’s natural that I would want my team to finish on the winning side against any team, and especially against India “However, recent history and the depth of the India squad gives it a slight edge heading into the game,” Afridi wrote in a column for the ICC.

Afridi says Pakistani bowlers will have to bring their A game to the field against a formidable Indian batting unit led by captain and star batsman Virat Kohli.

“Led by Virat Kohli, the Indians possess a formidable batting line-up that can flay any bowling attack on its day,” he said. “Kohli’s credentials as a top-order batsman are known to all and he has played some memorable innings in the ODI format. “I have vivid memories of his sublime century against us in the 2012 Asia Cup, while he was at his absolute best in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 clash at Adelaide, laying the foundation of an Indian win with a masterful hundred.

Virat Kohli and his team will have to put behind everything thats been going around off the field in regards to the alleged rift with head coach Anil Kumble when they take on a lackluster Pakistan in Group Bs game in Edgbaston on Sunday. India-Pakistan matches are awaited by two cricket-frenzy nations who will put aside everything, even breathing oxygen just to sit down and watch the rivals take on each other. This match has so much weightage and money pouring in from everywhere that, forget the fans; even the ICC has virtually admitted to slightly tweaking the draws of the groups in global competitions just to see India and Pakistan have a go at each others throat.

Virat Kohli and his team will have to put behind everything that’s been going around off the field in regards to the alleged rift with head coach Anil Kumble when they take on a lackluster Pakistan in Group B’s game in Edgbaston on Sunday. India-Pakistan matches are awaited by two cricket-frenzy nations who will put aside everything, even breathing oxygen just to sit down and watch the rivals take on each other. This match has so much weightage and money pouring in from everywhere that, forget the fans; even the ICC has virtually admitted to slightly tweaking the draws of the groups in global competitions just to see India and Pakistan have a go at each other’s throat.

England all-rounder Chris Woakes has been ruled out of the entire duration of the ICC Champions Trophy after suffering a side strain in the tournament opener in which England beat Bangladesh. During the match, Woakes was only able to bowl two overs before being taken off the field. Woakes did not return to bowl and further scans have now revealed that the injury is serious enough which will lead him to miss the rest of the tournament.

The all-rounder headed into the tournament with questions over his fitness. After a busy schedule which included a long and strenuous season of the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders. He was rested for England’s final two ODI games against South Africa as he was suffering from a tight quad. England were also accused of rushing Woakes into the tournament, but captain Eoin Morgan rejected the claims. Morgan said, “He was chomping at the bit to play. If we rushed him, he might have played the last game of the [South Africa] one-day series but we didn’t want to rush him.”

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has won the toss and elected to bat first in match two in a Group A encounter in the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Kane Williamson says that he’s confident that New Zealand can put some runs on board and defend it down. Birthday boy, Steve Smith says that Stoinis, Zampa, Pattinson misses out and John Hastings gets a game.

Shane Warne with the pitch report, says, “Even cover of grass, it’s really hard. Expect the fast bowlers to get a lot of bounce and carry.”

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has backed the selection of Yuvraj Singh in the Indian starting XI over Ajinkya Rahane. Clarke believes that for a big tournament like the ICC Champions Trophy, India need to use all the experience available in their squad.

Speaking at Aaj Tak Salaam Cricket 2017, Clarke said, “I’d go with the two most experienced players in Yuvraj and Dhoni. This is their time to really stand up. You do need the mix of youth and experience in the team. But if I have to pick between Yuvraj and Rahane, I would go with the experienced player.”

ustralia will take on New Zealand in a heavyweight contest in Edgbaston, Birmingham to determine who takes home the title of being the dominant team in the Trans-Tasman region. Matches between the two side always promise to be intense encounters with this match having the added bonus of being the re-match of the final of the 2015 World Cup in Melbourne. A lot has changed since then in both teams with the premier batsmen in world cricket; Steve Smith and Kane Williamson taking over the leadership responsibilities of both the sides.

Australia along with England are the pre-tournament favourites for a lot of analysts on the back of their explosive batting line-up and a world class bowling lineup. New Zealand though have a host of dangerous all-rounders in their line-up, who could spoil the party for Australia. There remains a realistic chance, depending on the conditions that Australia for the first time will unleash the fearsome pace quartet of Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in international cricket. If they choose to do so, New Zealand will have quite a task on their hands.

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli is nearing another world record. The right-handed batsman has scored 7755 runs in ODIs thus far and if he managed to score 245 more runs in the minimum of three matches in the tournament, he will become the fastest to reach 8000 ODI runs.

South African captain AB de Villiers is the fastest to 8000 ODI runs. He achieved the landmark in 182 innings. Virat has scored 7755 runs in just 171 innings and he still has 11 innings to score the 255 runs. But he will be looking to do the job in the Champions Trophy only.

Kohli has been in a sensational form since last one year, especially in the short form of the game.

Virat had broken the record of fastest man to reach 5000, 6000 and 7000 ODI runs as well and every time it was Hashim Amla who broke the record.

Bangladesh have surprised one and all with their exceptional batting performance in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy against England at the Kensington Oval in London. Powered on by a brilliant Tamim Iqbal ton, Bangladesh have managed to register to a score of 305/6 on the board.

Twitter was surprised as England were lackluster on the field against an unfancied Bangladesh side. Here are some of the best reactions.

Indian medium pacer Irfan Pathan believes Mohammed Shami will be a key bowler in India’s Champions Trophy campaign. Irfan said that to achieve success in England you have to keep bowling in the right areas and hit the seam to extract something from the pitch.

Shami was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times, “What’s important in England is to hit the seam well. If you can keep bowling in the right areas and hit the seam, I think that’s the best way to go for the bowlers.”

Irfan said that the kind of pace bowling India has, they have a great chance to do well. He said, “With the kind of form our frontline pacers — Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav — are in at the moment, I am sure India can do really well in the Champions Trophy. With the amount of experience they have in the home season and the Indian Premier League (IPL), I think they are up for the challenge in England.”

The 2017 kits for the ICC Champions Trophy has some older looks and some new and as the tournament kicks off, lets take a look at some of the inspirations for each team’s jersey and the new designs that will witness the make or break of different countries.

Australia

Australia’s Aussie Gold is signature to the Australian team, with the kit being used in the home one-day international series against New Zealand and Pakistan last year. The Aussie Gold saw Australia through the 2015 World Cup where they defeated New Zealand in the final. The old look may give them a new win, yet.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s home and clash kits have opposite designs. One features a green web of lines in the front and red collars plus borders in a primarily green kit. The other has a green web with red occupying the centres.

England

England’s kit is navy blue with a fade-in of red stripes. The look manages to stay minimal with just the one frill.

England/Bangladesh captain Eoin Morgan has won the toss and elected to field first in the first match of Group A of the 2017 edition of ICC Champions Trophy at the Kensington Oval in London, England. Ben Stokes is fit and is playing while Eoin Morgan says that the rest of the team is fit and raring to go.

Ian Bishop with the pitch analysis: As per the pitch is concerned today, it’s a dry surface. It looks really good, there are little shoots of green grass but are very sporadic. According to the latest animation from Intel, it seems to be a good surface where there could be a little seam movement around. The average score here is 259. There seems to be pace and bounce at the Oval, according to Brett Lee so expect a cracker of a game!

In a big blow to Sri Lanka’s hopes of going far in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, captain Angelo Mathews is likely to miss the tournament opener against South Africa due to a calf injury. In this case, it is expected that vice-captain Upul Tharanga will be leading the side.

This is not the first time Mathews is struggling with injuries. He has had many of them in the last one year. In 2016 WT20, he was down with a back injury and then during Sri Lanka’s tour to England, he missed a few games due to injuries again.

He has not played a single international game this year because of hamstring injury and had missed the tri-series in Zimbabwe because of ‘multiple injuries’ in his legs.

A Sri Lanka Cricket press release stated, “Mathews had complained of stiffness and pain, prompting the team management to conduct radiographic investigations, which revealed a strain on the muscle. He will engage in supervised recovery over the next few days but will most likely sit out the first group stage match.”

Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman is looking forward to the first game of Champions Trophy against arch-rivals India, against whom he will be playing for the first time. Zaman said while speaking to Geo TV that the team is all set for the first game and they are prepared well to take on India.

He said, “Everyone is looking forward to the tournament. For me, personally, it’s the first big tournament and I am aiming to give my best. We have been practising hard since we arrived here, indoors and outdoors, we are well prepared and looking forward to the tournament. I want to give my best in the match; everyone wants to perform against India. I don’t have any particular bowler as my target and I will play every ball according to merit.”

Fakhar Zaman has played 3 T20Is in which he has scored just 26 runs. If he plays against India, it will be his debut in ODIs and what a beautiful start he will have.

Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz is a doubtful starter in the first game against India on June 4. The paceman is going through a knee pain and is expected to miss the first game of the Champions Trophy.

Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mehmood, however, has said that there is no need to panic and Wahab’s injury is not serious in nature. What raises concern is that the left-arm pacer missed the practice session on Tuesday. The only good news being that he finished his gym session.

Pakistan already have an inexperienced side at their helm with no such big start playing in the squad. Shahid Afridi had announced his retirement a month back. In a star-less squad, players like Wahab are being looked upon as key to Pakistan’s success in the tournament as the shoulder of responsibility is more on their bowlers than batsmen.

Former Pakistan cricket team captain Waqar Younis has slammed the middle-order batsman Umar Akmal for failing the fitness test twice and the being sent back by the team management.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Waqar said, “To be blunt, the whole thing was just bizarre and should not have happened. It has damaged the reputation of Pakistan and Pakistan cricket. Something has gone wrong and it’s difficult to blame Umar, or the selectors, or (head coach) Mickey Arthur until complete facts are known.”

Waqar added that PCB should make an effort to find how an unfit player made it to the 15-man squad. He said, “The Pakistan Cricket Board needs to dig deep and uncover what went on and to resolve this issue to ensure it does not happen again. Whoever is responsible for this episode needs to own up and take responsibility.”

A new record awaits team India in ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Indian cricket team have won six matches on the trot in the tournament and are just two wins away from creating a record of continuous eight wins in the Champions Trophy. West Indies are current holders of this record as they have 7 games on the trot but this here the Caribbean boys are not taking part in the tournament, hence India have not difficulties in achieving this feat this time around.

If India beat Pakistan in the first game of the tournament on June 4 and Sri Lanka on June 8, they will become the team with most number of successive wins in the Champions Trophy history.

The chance to beat this record is high as well. India are in a slightly easy group which contains the struggling Pakistan side and a Sri Lanka side which is in a transition phase. The only team which looks as a threat to India is South African unit, comprising of some of the modern greats. But by the time India play them, they would have created the record or may have not.

Hosts England will start their ICC Champions Trophy campaign taking on Bangladesh in the opening fixture of Group A. Despite there being a difference of only one position in the rankings of both sides, with England ranked 5th and Bangladesh 6th, England head into the encounter as heavy favourites for the match at Kensington Oval in London. Such high are the hopes with the host nation that many experts have declared them as the undisputed favourites to win the tournament. But they will have to be careful against Bangladesh, who are more than capable of causing an upset in the opening game of the tournament.

ICC Champions Trophy is set to see an introduction of new technology. In the Champions Trophy which begins on June 1, Intel drone, bats sensors and virtual reality technologies will be used.

The Intel Falcon 8 Drone will be used with HD and infrared cameras for advanced pitch analysis.

ICC CEO Dave Richardson in a press statement said, “The innovations Intel is bringing to the game promise to transform how cricket is experienced and enjoyed around the world, and we look forward to partnering with Intel in this effort.”

The bat sensor will be powered by the Intel Curie technology. It will be mounted on the cricket bat to get the data of the stroke every batsman plays.

The bat sensor will be make for a great watch as the fans will be able to know the things related to the batsman’s back-lift, bat speed and follow through after playing a stroke.

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has credited former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for giving him tips on how to finish an innings. Pandya blasted 80 off just 54 deliveries against Bangladesh in the second warm-up match batting from the No.6 position. His innings will have greatly eased India’s fears heading into the tournament as there were worries that India was light on a lower-order finisher.

India’s Dinesh Karthik has made a strong case for himself to get his name registered in the playing XI against Pakistan in India’s first match in ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Karthik scored 94 off just 77 balls in the second warm-up tie against Bangladesh who had India struggling at 21 for 2. This was when Karthik came on the crease and formed a good partnership with opener Shikhar Dhawan.

He had failed in the first warm-up game against New Zealand, getting out on a duck after having played 9 deliveries.

Indian captain Virat Kohli is very happy with the way things have fallen since coming to England. In the press conference post the Bangladesh warm-up, he said, “Both games we got what we wanted. Batsmen got runs, bowlers were outstanding as well. When the cloud cover comes in, it’s difficult for the batsmen.”

Bangladesh have further solidified their Jeckyll and Hyde reputation in international cricket by performing poorly with the bat in the warm-up match for the ICC Champions Trophy against India at the Oval in London. Bangladesh are struggling to reach even the score which Dinesh Karthik put up on the board, which was 94 after they had no answers to India’s bowling with the new ball. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was particularly impressive with the new ball, with the Bangladesh batsmen having no clue as how to counter his swinging deliveries.

Former Australian cricketer and cricket expert Dean Jones has taken to Twitter to advise the Pakistan Cricket Team on how to beat India in the upcoming encounter of the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy in England. Jones believes that it is not the talent, but the mental block which avoids Pakistan from beating India in the big matches.

Pakistan do not need any added motivation for their Champions Trophy opener against India but batsman Haris Sohail insists his team has to forget about the opposition it is facing in the marquee clash on Sunday.

Rain at Edgbaston curtailed Pakistan s final warm-up game before the start of the tournament, with Australia making 57 for one batting first in 10 overs on Monday. For Pakistan, the focus now shifts to taking on India on Sunday in the opening pool encounter at the same ground. While those encounters usually provide a little extra spice, Haris urged his team not to get carried with the rivalry.

And when Sunday rolls around, the 28-year-old, who came in as a replacement for Umar Akmal, is confident Pakistan will have adjusted to the weather conditions, having had a fortnight on English soil.

“We have had good preparation, we have had a good couple of days. It is a huge game against India, a really big game.

Former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara on Tuesday said defending champions India were capable of retaining the Champions Trophy title as they were a better-balanced unit with “real firepower in their fast bowling”.

“This year we have four Asian teams in the tournament and clearly India is current the pack-leaders in the region. It won in 2013 and it has a team capable of winning this year too,” Sangakkara wrote in his column in ICC website.

“In fact, the team is arguably stronger, better balanced with real firepower in its fast bowling. Its spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are exceptional in ODI cricket and I am sure Virat Kohli is going to be desperate to bounce back after a disappointing IPL,” he added.

The wicketkeeper-batsman, however, felt that India’s selection was a “little conservative”.

“The only slight concern I have for India is that its selection was perhaps a little conservative, but it is still very strong,” he said.

The 39-year-old picked India as one of his favourite teams to make the semifinals of the upcoming tournament, starting on June 1.

Indian cricket team missed the services of Yuvraj Singh in the first warm-up game against New Zealand. Yuvraj had fallen ill as soon as he landed in England and it must have been because of change of weather.

The good news is that the Yuvraj is back and he looked smiling in a picture posted by BCCI’s official Twitter handle on Monday.

Remember the ‘Mauka Mauka’ campaign from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015? The campaign got a lot of popularity for its humorous take on Pakistan never being able to defeat India. Following the video, many other versions using the same idea werree created by both Indians and Pakistanis.

India will play the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and as is tradition, the India-Pakistan encounter in the opening match will undoubtedly be the most popularly talked about and watched game of the tournament. It should be noted, however, that the Champions Trophy is the one ICC event wherein Pakistan have in fact defeated India. They beat India twice in the tournament and are looking to even the odds again.

V Seven Pictures recently matched up to the hype for the India-Pakistan match with their own version of mauka mauka, which currently has over 1 million views on YouTube. The video showed a man keen on going to England for the match, but then re-assessing his decision when he realizes that India is playing in the match.

Australian cricket team opted to rest Glenn Maxwell in their second warm-up tie against Pakistan as he is healing from an injury. Maxwell had hurt his kneecap in the first warm-up game against Sri Lanka at The Oval, London on Friday. In that match, the middle order batsman was dismissed for a golden duck.

Australians play their first game against New Zealand on June 2 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Cricket.com.au wrote that Maxwell’s injury is not so serious but Australians are not taking any chance. What this means is that Maxwell will be heading into the June 2 contest without any hit in the middle since he landed in England to take part in Champions Trophy.

Maxwell was hit on the head in the practice session as well before the first warm-up game. He is coming into the tournament with good scored in IPL. He has scored 310 runs in 14 matches in the Indian Premier League 2017 and led the Kings XI Punjab side quite superbly.

MS Dhoni has stepped down from the Indian ODI and T20I captaincy but he remains the senior-most member of the team. Before the first warm-up game against New Zealand in London, Indian captain Virat Kohli did a pep talk while the team was in a huddle and after he was done with it, MS Dhoni too had a lot to say to the players.

He looked very engrossed while speaking to the players. Champions Trophy means a lot to the Indian team as they are the defending champions. India won the trophy in 2013 under the able leadership of MS Dhoni and now India’s most successful ODI skipper is back to England as just a member of the tea

Aleem Dar came into the first warm-up Champions Trophy match between India and New Zealand and surprised cricket viewers with his giant new beard. The umpire, who is usually clean shaven, has never been seen in his new avatar.

Aleem Dar spoke to PTV Sports saying that South African batsman Hashim Alma had asked him to grow his beard as part of Islamic tradition. Aleem told media that he already had plans to grow a beard, and Amla encouraged him to do it. Aleem’s new beard gives him a much more towering appearance, here’s him with both looks, past and present:
Aleem has officiated in 111 Tests, 183 ODIs and 41 T20Is. He has also won the Umpire of the Year Award in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Additionally, he won the prestigious Pride of Performance Award in 2011.

Hashim Amla, who always sports his characteristic long beard, has played 10 matches for Kings XI Punjab. He scored 420 runs of batting at an average of 60.00. He recognizably owned the field during IPL 10, making 104 off 60 balls against Gujarat Lions and scoring an unbeaten 60-ball 104 not out against Mumbai Indians. Kings XI Punjab finished fifth in the season with 7 wins out of 14 matches.

MS Dhoni is someone who’ll always have eyeballs on him when’s out to bat. Right from his walk to the ground to entering the crease, all eyes remain transfixed on the TV screen while MS Dhoni gets ready for another innings. And especially during the death overs, who wouldn’t want to see MS Dhoni smashing the bowlers all over the park?

Big tournaments make big players. These players who nobody focusses on. They are counted out or even never numbered among the best. However, in the end, they are the ones who take their teams to victory.

While all eyes will be on the likes of Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, David Warner, AB de Villiers, we look at some other faces which could turn out to be the match-winners for their teams in ICC Champions Trophy.

Glenn Maxwell: Australians have been termed the hot favourites to win the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. They have quality players like David Warner, Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc in their line-up. However, no one is talking about Glenn Maxwell, who scored 310 runs in 14 matches and led Kings XI Punjab superbly. Not many eyes are on him and he can take benefit from this and prove to be a match-winner for the Aussies.

England all-rounder will have a scan on his left knee to find out the extent of his injury which he got in the first ODI against South Africa on May 24. Stokes scored a 79-ball-101in the second ODI and he did not look uncomfortable throughout the innings. However, when he came out to bowl, he felt some sort of niggle while delivering the ball.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Stokes said, “It comes and goes. I have bad days and good days.I’m not sure if it is a worry or not, it might just be wear and tear. Hopefully, we’ll get a clearer picture.”

“It’s just the bowling,” added the Durham man. “When I land on the floor I get a pain on the outside of my knee, so we just need to find out what that is.I was able to bowl today, but at the end of my third over I started to feel it. It’s a confidence thing as well. If I feel the knee I don’t feel I’m running through the crease properly,” he added.

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s grandfather passed away on Saturday and his last rites were performed on Sunday evening when the 30-year-old was playing the Champions Trophy warm-up game against New Zealand in London.

Narayanaswamy was 92 years old and served Souther Railway for many years. He was a great enthusiast of the game of cricket. He always pushed Ashwin to take up cricket in his early years. Ashwin came to know after the demise of his grandfather a day prior to India’s warm-up game but the lanky off-spinner showed great character and decided to play the next day’s game against New Zealand.

It was also his comeback game where he bowled 6 overs for 32 runs and 1 wicket. Indians bowled the Kiwis out for a paltry 189 runs in just 38.4 overs. The batsmen had almost done the job of chasing down the modest total when the rain ruined the party. Captain Virat Kohli played a beautiful knock of 52 runs off 55 balls and was unbeaten at the crease alongside MS Dhoni who had scored 17 off 21 with the help of 2 fours and 1 six. The rain did not stop and eventually, the game was called off and India were declared winners as per the D/L method by 45 runs.

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell has picked his firm favourites for the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and they are India, England, Australia and South Africa. In a column, he wrote for ESPNcricinfo, Chappel wrote, “The four really strong squads are hosts England, defending champions India and perennial competitors Australia and South Africa.”

Chappell believes that Australians are feeling more united than ever thanks to the ongoing pay dispute with the board. He wrote, “The Australians are currently embroiled in a divisive pay dispute with their board, but the altercation has only served to unite the players. The sense that this dispute will further galvanise the Australian team was reinforced by skipper Steven Smith, when he indicated that winning the Champions Trophy would help the players in their negotiations with Cricket Australia.”

On England, he wrote that this is the best time for the English side to win a major ICC ODI tournament, writing, “England have never won a major one-day tournament, and with their powerful batting line-up and strong pace attack, this is a great opportunity to erase that glitch in their record. In the 2013 tournament, England lost to India in a rain-affected final, and in 2017, the Virat Kohli-led side will again be a major challenge for the hosts.”

Indian fast bowler Irfan Pathan believes that Indian team has the ability to retain the Champions Trophy. While speaking to PakPassion.net, he said, “The Indian ODI team has been playing well in recent times and the players selected for the Champions Trophy squad have been in top form as well. Look at the examples of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and others who have performed excellently in the IPL.”

Irfan added that the batsmen too are in great form at the moment. He said, “The same applies for the batsmen as well. So, the fact that all of these players are in good form is crucial for the chances of any team in such a high-profile competition.”

“Given all these facts, I am very hopeful that the Indian team can repeat the performances of the 2013 edition of the Champions Trophy. That was a piece of history that I was also part of and I feel that the Indian squad of today are strong contenders to become champions again in 2017.”

With the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy just a few days away, the excitement level is at its peak among cricket fans all over the world. Ever since its inception in 1998 (when it was known as the ICC KnockOut Championship), the Champions Trophy has provided some real thrills to the fans in its previous seven editions.

While we eagerly wait for the 2017 Champions Trophy to begin, it is a good time to look back at some of the most interesting statistics and records that we should know about the tournament.

Most runs:

West Indian superstar batsman Chris Gayle remains the highest run-getter of the Champions Trophy. Gayle has amassed 791 runs from 17 matches in the Champions Trophy at a cracking average of 52.73 and a superb strike-rate of 88.77. He has three hundred and one fifty in the tournament with a highest of an unbeaten 133 against South Africa in the all-important 2006 Champions Trophy semi-final at Jaipur. Gayle will not be featuring in the upcoming Champions Trophy as the West Indies have not qualified for it, but his record is likely to stay for a few more editions.

In its past seven editions, the Champions Trophy has seen some truly epic and thrilling contests that we can relive over and over again. As we eagerly wait for the new edition of the tournament to begin, let us have a look back at the five most unforgettable matches in the Champions Trophy history.

India v South Africa, Colombo, 2002 semi-final:

This was a match for the ages; a perfect advertisement of the 50-over game. Unfortunately, for South Africa, the result once again accentuated their ‘chokers’ tag. In the first semi-final of the 2002 Champions Trophy, India won the toss and chose to bat first on a sluggish Colombo wicket. The South African pace attack comprising of Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Allan Donald, Lance Klusener and Jaques Kallis combined to ensure that India did not get away wih a huge total. With notable contributions from Virender Sehwag (59), Rahul Dravid (49) and Yuvraj Singh (62), India managed to put on 261-9 on the board. However, South Africa began the chase confidently and was cruising along at 192-1. A South African victory looked all but certain but as Herschelle Gibbs (116*) went off retired hurt, the Indians began clawing their way back in. Spinners Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag combined to choke South Africa slowly. The runs dried up, the pressure built steadily, and after a stunning catch by Yuvraj Singh to dismiss Jonty Rhodes, India completely strangled South Africa. In the end, South Africa ended on 251-6, and lost the match by 10 runs. India went to the finals after clinching a truly epic contest.

India will be playing New Zealand in their first warm-up game of the ICC Champions Trophy at The Oval on Sunday and it is expected to be a litmus test for spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammad Shami. One more new that is doing the round before the start of the game is the possible absence of Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma in the team.

Yuvraj Singh is going through a viral fever and has missed the first practice session for India as well. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma will join the team on Sunday and it is not possible for him to head straight into the game.

Both players are expected to play the second warm-up game against Bangladesh on Tuesday. India play their first game of the group B against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 4 in Birmingham.

Indian captain Virat Kohli had said that it is not going to be too easy for the defending champions to retain the title and looking into the performance of all the sides in the warm-up games, it appears this might be the toughest Champions Trophy played ever.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli has claimed that England are the favourites to win the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, despite India being the defending champions heading into the tournament. Kohli believes that the English unit has no visible weakness and in their home conditions would be the team to beat.

Speaking to the media ahead of India’s opening warm-up game against New Zealand, Kohli heaping praise on England, said, “I think England are a very, very balanced side. One of the two best balanced sides in the world at the moment. They bat right down to 9 or 10, they are all explosive players, five or six guys can bat and bowl, and they are gun fielders as well. We experienced that in India, they are pretty hard to get past, and that’s something that is going to be a challenge for every other team in the Champions Trophy as well. We always related to England as a very strong Test team, but in last two or three years post [the 2015] World Cup, they’ve really changed the way they play their cricket.”

Pakistan pacer Junaid Khan has fired the first shot against India claiming that Indian captain Virat Kohli is brilliant batsman but he has failed against him. Khan has an exceptional record against Virat Kohli, dismissing him three out of the four times the pair have faced each other.

Speaking in an interview with Express Tribune, Khan said, “I have dismissed him in three out of the four matches we have faced each other. He is a brilliant batsman but he has failed against me. I bowled Kohli in India in front of his fans so it won’t be a problem in England.”

The pair faced off against each other four years ago, after which Kohli has established himself as one of the best batsmen in world cricket across all formats. But Khan claims that he still views Kohli as the same old player. “When I face him, I will consider him the same Kohli,” he said. “I may be wrong but I think he will also think of me as the same Junaid that has taken his wicket before, which might make him go on the defensive a bit more and therefore lose his wicket.”

Premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will be in focus alongside speedster Mohammed Shami when defending champions India take on New Zealand tomorrow in their opening warm-up game ahead of the Champions Trophy here.

After a hectic six weeks of Indian Premier League, the two warm-up games will help the ‘Men In Blue’ get back into the 50-over groove and the emphasis will be on team combination moving into the tournament proper. India last played an ODI against England, back in January this year. Since the match doesn’t have official status, all 15 members in the squad will get a chance to play.

All eyes will be on Ashwin as he is coming from a two- month break after the BCCI wanted him to opt out of the IPL in order to recover from fatigue after playing all 13 Tests in a gruelling home season. The warm-up matches will provide Ashwin with much-needed game time as he fights for his place with Ravindra Jadeja in case the team management decides to go with one specialist spinner in the playing XI.

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has been trolled on Twitter for making an unnecessary remark on Mohammed Shami’s religion when asked about who the best fast bowler in India was. This remark has stirred up a massive controversy on Twitter with many people bashing Shoaib Malik for unnecessarily invoking religion in his statement.

It all started when a user asked Shoaib Malik who the best Indian fast bowler was:

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed is hopeful that his side can beat India when the two heavyweights clash in a rare match in the ICC Champions Trophy on June 4 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. All eyes of world cricket will be on clash between India and Pakistan which is being billed as the marquee clash of the ICC Champions Trophy.

Speaking to the reporters ahead of Pakistan’s warm-up clash against Bangladesh, Sarfraz said, “We are very hopeful about the India match but our aim is to first perform well in our opening practice match as a team unit. Obviously, performing against India is important because the whole nation is expecting us to win against them, so we will give our full 100 percent in the ground. We will try our fullest to be seen fighting. All players [are] giving their heart out in each and every department of the game and when we’re together giving our best and keeping our focus, result will surely come good.”

Ben Stokes is all set to train again with England at the Ageas Bowl today before the decision of his participation in the 2nd ODI against South Africa arises. The Rising Pune Supergiant all-rounder was set to have a scan in Southampton on Thursday on his left knee which already had undergone a surgery due to a cartilage tear last year.

But the England and Wales Cricket Board had confirmed that Ben Stokes will be batting, bowling and fielding normally in Friday’s training session and there’ll be reassessed by the end of it. This is really great news for England cricket team as at no cost, would they lose someone of the stature of Ben Stokes over an ODI against South Africa when the entire focus would be on the Champions Trophy, starting June 1.

Australia are going to play their first game in ICC Champions Trophy 2017 on June 2 against their trans-tasmanian rivals New Zealand and expect this game to go down to the wire. Australian spinner Adam Zampa knows the importance of the game and believes that he might make the cut into the playing XI in the first game.

While speaking to cricket.com.au, he said, “I think the general feeling is that the wickets here will slow up in the back end of the tournament.”

“I’m preparing for that, but I’m prepared to play every game. We’ve been selecting teams in the last 24 months (based) on the conditions and with the fire power we have with the ball, it’s always handy to have.”

The Australian cricket team paid a tribute to the victims of Manchester Arena in England by observing a minute of silence. The players halted their practice session at The Oval on Thursday to get collected in the middle of the ground and observed silence.

A total of 22 people were killed in the attack. The team which was practising in the nets collected together and were joined by the support staff as well to mourn the incident.

Indian cricket team attended the Sachin: A Billion Dreams premiere on Wednesday before boarding the flight to England to take part in Champions Trophy. Almost everyone from cricketing and film fraternity attended the premier but one man who is very close to Sachin was missing. He is Virender Sehwag.

Sehwag missed the premiere of the docu-drama that features Sachin Tendulkar’s life and his journey from training at Shivaji Park to retiring from the game at Wankhede. Everyone was wondering why Sehwag was missing at the premiere.

The Sultan of Multan answered the question himself by posting a video on Twitter, revealing why he missed out on the opportunity.

Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews said that his prime bowler Lasith Malinga is looking forward to do well in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Malinga has not played in 50-over format for a long time now but the Sri Lankan skipper does not bother much about it.

Malinga did not feature in Sri Lanka’s matches with Scotland as he was busy playing for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.

Mathews, speaking on Malinga’s importance in the side, said, “He’s fully fit in terms of fitness. We look forward to utilising him in the matches … he’s very key. And he got here a few days back, very keen to get on the park.”

The Sri Lanka skipper does not see his lack of recent experience in ODIs as the reason for any kind of concern. He said, “He hasn’t played 50-over games in the recent past, but he’s played a lot of games in the IPL where it’s very intense. And he’s been doing a lot of training as well.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli has said that the travelling Men in Blue are more than capable of defending their Champions Trophy, scheduled to be played from 1st of June. The reason the 28-year-old batsman has cited is that his squad is more mature and is a lot fitter this time around.

India will lock horns against their arch rivals Pakistan on 4th on June in Birmingham, before bracing themselves for the clashes against Sri Lanka and South Africa. Kohli, while speaking about the squad, said that his players have gained enough experience to give their opponents a run for their money. He also added that despite his men are relatively young, they are mature enough to take the mantle.

“This year the team is a lot fitter, the cricketers are a lot more mature because that was a very young group four years ago,” Kohli told reporters after India touched down in London for the tournament starting on June 1.

“It has gained a lot of experience in the last three or four years… We are in a good head-space going into this tournament.”

Any global sports tournament is made thrilling by the performances of the top stars in the business in it. The ICC Champions Trophy, which is all set to begin from June 1, will have a plethora of the biggest superstars from the cricketing world eager to make a statement at the biggest stage.

Here, we look at five batsmen who are likely to set the Champions Trophy alight through their masterful batting displays.

ICC Champions Trophy is often hailed as the Mini World Cup. Playing in this tournament is a lot tougher than World Cup as here, all the top eight teams play and there is no chance of complacency. One mistake and you can see yourself out of the tournament. Virat Kohli has mentioned that how difficult it is to yield a result in Champions Trophy.

India will begin their CT 2017 campaign against Pakistan on June 4 while the first game will be played on June 1 between England and Bangladesh.

IPL has swept the country with a fever that will now be missed, but the ICC Champions Trophy promises to bring India back together for one more episode of intense cricket.

Tiger Shroff was recently part of a shoot for a promotional video for the ICC Champions Trophy which starts on June 1st. He arrived at a suburban studio to shoot the video while sporting an Indian jersey. He spoke to Mid-Day saying, “I love cricket and with this act, I want to cheer Team India on ahead of the season.” Sources derived from Mid-Day say the Sabbir Khan directed video will be unveiled on the opening day of the tournament.

Here’s a photo of the shoot that Shroff re-tweeted:

Tiger Shroff will also be the leading role in the Bollywood remake of Rambo, the franchise made popular in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Tiger commented on his role saying, “Being a martial artist and a huge action movie buff since childhood, this all seems very surreal, and I’m very grateful for this opportunity. By no means do I believe I can replace the legendary Sylvester Stallone; however, I do feel that somehow this is something I’ve been preparing for since childhood.”

Team India seems to be appearing everywhere preceding the ICC Champions Trophy, they were recently all seen at the premier of Sachin: A Billion Dreams at PVR Icon and two parts of the entourage just showed up at The Kapil Sharma Show. Off the field, the players are making sure they take off from IPL hype and keep cricket fans always psyched for the next tournament.

Gujarat Lions’ Suresh Raina and Team India’s Hardik Pandya and Shikhar Dhawan showed up at the sometimes whacky, but always funny ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’. Yuvraj Singh and wife, Hazel Keech have been seen on the show in the past, and Virat Kohli also appeared in an episode.

During the IPL, Hardik was part of the Mumbai Indians and Shikhar played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The two will now represent the Indian squad when they play their first official match versus Pakistan on June 4th. All three of them posted pictures of their guest apperances on Instagram.

It seems Indian cricket team will have a new coach after coach Anil Kumble’s one-year tenure comes to end in July this year. As per sources from BCCI, the cricket board has invited applications for Head Coach of Indian cricket team and Anil Kumble himself will get a direct entry for the process for the application of Head Coach.

The process has been initiated during the term of the current coach, Mr Anil Kumble concludes with the Champions trophY. Present Head Coach, Mr. Anil Kumble will be a direct entry for the process.” BCCI said in a statement as quoted by News18.

The ICC Champions Trophy’s history is replete with some truly exceptional bowling performances. Some renowned names from all over the cricketing world have made a mark in the event through their special bowling exploits.

Here, we look at the five best bowling performances in the Champions Trophy history.

India skipper Virat Kohli today conceded that Champions Trophy is qualitatively much more competitive than the World Cup, with top eight teams battling it out in a condensed schedule.

“The competitiveness of the tournament is much higher from the word go. In a World Cup, you still have league games (to get into groove) and may be dominate during the later half, but in Champions Trophy you need to be on top of your game from game one. If you are not, then your chances go down pretty soon,” Virat told reporters at the pre-departure media conference here.

India play their first match against arch rivals Pakistan on June 4 in Birmingham but something that the skipper doesn’t want his team to put too much weightage to the defending champions tag.

“The first challenge is not to think about the fact that we are defending the title. When we went there last time (to the CT in England in 2013), we just wanted to enjoy as a young unit and we ended up winning the tournament,” Kohli said talking about how it went on creating a core which is still intact coming into this tournament.

“It ended up (the 2013 triumph) creating a team which has done so well so far. There are a few changes (in current side) but the mindset is similar — to go out there and enjoy our cricket. In Tests, we have been able to reach the top with that mindset — the hunger to win and we want it across all formats.”

India captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday played down the hype surrounding their upcoming marquee clash with arch-rivals Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, saying it is just another game of cricket for the players.

Defending champions India will be opening their campaign against Pakistan at the Edgbaston, Birmingham on June 4 amidst tense bilateral relations between the two nations.

Asked if playing Pakistan in the current political scenario is a good thing, Kohli said: “What do you think? You seem to have come here with your own mindset. With all due respect, whatever else is going on, as a cricketer, you can’t even think about your partner at the other end when you are batting.

“It’s about playing the game. Yes, India-Pakistan is always exciting for the fans. It’s different for them. For us, it is just a game of cricket. In our heads nothing really changes, it’s exactly the same for us. It’s not the first time we are playing against them. Playing for India, you don’t need extra motivation.”

Rejuvenated after a two-month break, India’s premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin says that he is ready with a bagful of new tricks, which he hopes to display during the upcoming Champions Trophy.

After a gruelling home season of 13 Tests, Ashwin was advised rest during the IPL and the tweaker’s next assignment is India’s Champions Trophy defence.

“I might be able to throw something new in this tournament (Champions Trophy), hopefully. I am equipped enough to do so. The two warm-up games (vs New Zealand, vs Bangladesh) will give me an indication on how well I go in the tournament,” Ashwin said on the sidelines of the CEAT Tyres annual awards function.

“It depends on how well my variations will come to fore, so just hoping that these practice matches can be put to good use and I bring something in new to the table and give something new to the team,” a confident Ashwin said.

Ashwin said that changed rules with four fielders outside the 30-yard circle and two new balls from both ends forces every bowler to think out of the box.

According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, Rohit Sharma might become India’s news vice-captain in the ICC Champions Trophy. The report states that the selectors have not named a vice-captain yet for the ICC Champions Trophy but Rohit Sharma will be fulfilling that role in an unofficial capacity.

A source in the report in Deccan Chronicle quotes, “The selectors have not announced the name of the vice-captain. However, among themselves, they have already chosen one, but will be announced only if required in emergency.”

Rohit Sharma has impressed one and all with his captaincy for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. With the Mumbai-based franchise, Rohit Sharma has won three IPL titles. His leadership of the franchise has impressed one and all and it seems that the Indian selectors have taken note of his performances as a leader.

Pakistan have named Haris Sohail to replace Umar Akmal in the ICC Champions Trophy squad after Akmal failed three fitness tests in England. The left-handed Sohail last played for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in Lahore in May 2015 where he scored 52. He will be joining up with the Pakistan squad before their warm-up tie against Bangladesh on Saturday.

Umar Akmal who has had a tumultuous career for Pakistan so far endured another disappointment in his career after he was sent home from the Pakistan squad in England for not being fit enough to participate in the ICC Champions Trophy. His exclusion has opened the door for Sohail who himself has had to go through a long rehabilitation process after a serious knee injury in 2015.

The ICC Champions Trophy is all set to commence in England from next month. With the tremendous success the tournament had in its last edition in 2013, there is immense anticipation from the latest one.

As we eagerly wait for the tournament to begin, let us look back at some of the highest run-getters in the Champions Trophy history. Some truly great names of the game adorn this list. Take a look.

Chris Gayle (West Indies):

The big West Indian swashbuckler may not be in the greatest of form at present, but he has surely reigned supreme in the Champions Trophy. In 17 matches, Gayle has plundered 791 runs at an incredible average of 52.73 and a superb strike-rate of 88.77. He is the leading run-scorer of the tournament at present and since no one among the current crop of batsmen is remotely close to this number, Gayle will hold this record for some more years to come. The burly opener has smashed three hundred and one fifty in the tournament with the highest score of an outstanding unbeaten 133 against South Africa in the all-important 2006 Champions Trophy semi-final at Jaipur. Gayle has also bludgeoned 101 fours – a Champions Trophy record – along with 15 sixes in the tournament. Since West Indies has, unfortunately, not qualified for the Champions Trophy this time, we will not be seeing Gayle in action, adding more runs to his tally.

Ever since its inception in 1998, the ICC Champions Trophy has seen some truly exquisite batting efforts from some of the best batsmen the world has seen. As the new edition of the tournament dawns on us, let us revisit some of the most unforgettable knocks from the Champions Trophy history.

Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 141 v Australia, Dhaka, 1998:

The year 1998 will go down in cricket history as the one where Sachin Tendulkar ruled the world. After his magical exploits in Sharjah earlier that year, Tendulkar continued his dominance over the Aussies in the 1998 Champions Trophy (then known as the ICC KnockOut Championship) as well. Producing one of the most memorable performances of his career, Sachin simply blew Australia to smithereens with a rampaging knock of 141 off 128 balls studded with 13 glorious fours and 3 stunning sixes. Batting first on a true Dhaka surface, Sachin attacked from the word go and struck cleanly down the ground and through the covers to get most of his runs. No Australian bowler could contain the Sachin storm and his magnificent innings helped India post an imposing 307 in their 50 overs. Australia were cut short in the chase by none other than Sachin himself who snapped 4-38 with his spin to get India a fantastic 44-run victory and knock Australia out of the tournament.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday said it will review the security for next month’s Champions Trophy and the Women’s World Cup in the United Kingdom following a terror attack in Manchester, which killed 22 people.

The Champions Trophy is scheduled to start on June 1 and Manchester is not a venue for the event, which will be played out in London, Birmingham and Cardiff.

“We operate on advice from our Tournament Security Directorate — in conjunction with the ECB and relevant authorities — to ensure that we have a robust safety and security plan for both tournaments,” cricket’s world governing body said in a statement.

“We will continue to work with authorities over the coming hours and days and review our security in line with the threat levels,” it added.

The ICC offered its condolences to the victims of the attack, which was carried out by a suicide bomber at a crowded arena hosting US pop star Ariana Grande’s concert. The attack which injured 59 is the deadliest terror attack in the UK since the 7/7 bombings of 2005.

“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the horrific attack in Manchester. The ICC and ECB place safety and security at the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Women’s World Cup this summer as the highest priority,” the ICC stated.

Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel has claimed that he does not play cricket keeping selection in mind. Parthiv Patel despite having a strong domestic season, wasn’t selected for the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, even as a last minute replacement. Patel was also a crucial member of the Mumbai Indians squad which won the 10th edition of the VIVO IPL.

Speaking to reporters at Mumbai Indians’ media conference, Patel said, “Honestly, I don’t worry about selection anymore. I have been old enough and been around for years. I don’t play cricket to get selected.”

In a big blow to Pakistan cricket’s Champions Trophy team, Umar Akmal has been asked to return from England after failing two fitness tests, ahead of the Champions Trophy which starts on June 1st. As spoken to ESPN Cricinfo, the PCB Shaharyar Khan said, “So since we have a policy not to carry unfit players, it has been decided to call him back and send a replacement. We have a deadline until May 25 so we are deliberating on the possible replacements.”

The moment India’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 in England was announced earlier this month, raging arguments surfaced on every media platform regarding the merit of quite a few selected players. The most vociferous angst appeared to be against the selection of opener Shikhar Dhawan – who took the slot of the injured KL Rahul in the team – instead of the vastly experienced Gautam Gambhir.

Gambhir, who has been robustly captaining the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL for a few years now, has managed a rather significant fan following because of his unfailing spirit and dogged determination to make a return to the national team. Dhawan, on the other hand, has earned the wrath of quite a few Indian cricket fans who they believe has got too many opportunities at the big stage despite consistent patchy performances.

So, has Gautam Gambhir been unfairly treated by the Indian selectors? Did Shikhar Dhawan genuinely warrant a place over Gambhir in the Champions Trophy squad? These questions can perhaps be better answered once we take a closer look at the performances of the two players in the recent past.

Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin said that Rohit Sharma will struggle in ICC Champions Trophy batting at the opening spot. Azhar said that it won’t be too easy for Rohit to adjust to the demands of the opening position so quickly.

He was quoted saying to DNA, “When you are an opening batsman, you should open. I always feel that the best players should play the first 20 overs. If your best batsmen are playing after 8-10 overs in T20s and after 30 overs in a 50-overs game, there’s no use. Rohit Sharma is a good player, and I was very surprised to see him bat at No. 3 or 4 or 5 (for MI).”

Azhar suggested Rohit Sharma to get to the opening spot quickly so as it is difficult to go back to the opening position straight away. He said, “He has to get used to the spot quickly. It’s going to be tough for him to straightaway go and open because the conditions are different and he is coming back from an injury. All these things will play on his mind.”

South Africa ODI captain AB de Villiers believes that England are hot favourites to win the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 as they are a brilliant side when playing at home.

De Villiers while talking to journalists in Sussex before the 3-match ODI series begins between South Africa and England, said that the focus of the team is to win the upcoming ODI series against England who play great ODI cricket in their own country.

He said, “We want to win the series against England, a team that’s been playing very good one-day cricket in their own country. They’ve done really well to come back from the 2015 World Cup,” he added, referring to a chastening exit from Pool A in Australia two years ago.

Former Indian coach John Wright believes that India have a good chance to win the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 as they have their best bowling attack in many years. Speaking to TOI, he said, “India’s got a good team. Your pace attack is perhaps the most potent it’s ever been. The Indian seamers were very good in India earlier, and if Anil Kumble (the current India coach) can ensure that they stay disciplined (in terms of line and length) in England, it would be tough to beat India.”

Wright, however, added that the Indian batsmen will have to adjust accordingly to the English conditions. He said, “However, your batsmen need to adapt quickly to the conditions, because it’ll be early summer in England, and the ball will seam around. In fact, the team which the quickest in adapting to the English conditions will win the tournament.”

India’s wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik has replaced the injured Manish Pandey in the Champions Trophy squad for India. The Champions Trophy starts on June 1 and Karthik was one of the five backup players reserved for any of the availability of the squad players. It could possibly jeopardise Kolkata Knight Riders’ shot at the IPL final as they play Mumbai Indians in the qualifier 2 tomorrow.

Dinesh Karthik has deservedly got a ticket to the Champions Trophy plane as he’s had a tremendous domestic season. Apart from scoring scored 704 runs in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy at an average of 54.15, Dinesh Karthik also had one hundred and five fifties to his na

ICC has revealed the list of umpires who will officiate in the ICC Champions Trophy. The 12 members on the ICC Elite Panel will share the umpiring duties throughout the tournament, while Chris Broad, David Boon and Andy Pycroft will officiate the tournament. The umpires who will take charge during the matches are Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker.

India’s S Ravi is the only Indian umpire who has been chosen to officiate in the tournament. Marais Erasmus and Kumar Dharmasena have been chosen to officiate in the all-important India-Pakistan clash on 4th June at Edgbaston.

Here is the full list of umpires and the matches they have been allotted in the tournament:

Former Sri Lanka international Chaminda Vaas believes that India are the firm favourites to lift the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be played from 1st of June.

The 43-year-old, who right at this very moment has engaged himself in training the young fast bowlers at the Jwala Sports Foundation’s Centre of Excellence for Cricket in Mumbai, was quoted by DNA India as saying:

“Whoever is doing well now stands a good chance to win. For me, first is England, then New Zealand have a good chance. And then one sub-continent team from either Sri Lanka, Pakistan or India.

“Cricket is about three departments. A team which is good in batting, fielding and bowling will win the Champions Trophy. When you are especially playing in English condition, which is cold, whoever grabs it well will do well.”

Vaas further added that the fast bowling will the key in England.

“It also depends on the wickets. It’s going to be cold and fresh which is good for fast bowlers. It will be them who will hold the key. Spinners too will have a part to play.”

He then heaped praises for the Indian skipper Virat Kohli and said that the 28-year-old will be the one to keep an eye on.

“I am 100 per cent sure Virat will do well in Champions Trophy. He has showed the courage and confidence as captain before and now as well,” Vaas said.

Legendary Indian cricketer Kapil Dev has backed hosts England to win the ICC Champions Trophy back in their home conditions and feels India won’t be heading into the tournament as favorites. He has also expressed his sorrow at the decline of West Indian cricket and believes England have become a ruthless ODI unit.

Speaking to Star Sports, Kapil Dev said on England’s chances of winning the ICC Champions Trophy, “I think of England. For the first time in 40 years England has given me the impression that it is producing players for one-day cricket. It has a ruthless approach with players like Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes. They can win matches on their own. That’s the sort of the team we had … Dhoni, Sachin, Yuvraj, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag. For the first time I feel England has so many good players who on their own can win matches.”

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has praised former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and has backed India’s decision to pick him in the 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in England. Dhoni played a crucial knock of 40 in Rising Pune Supergiant’s qualifier in the IPL against Mumbai Indians which led them to reaching the final of the IPL.

Praising Dhoni’s innings, Clarke told India Today, “That changed the game. The fact that Pune managed to get over the 160-run mark, the confidence in the change room was different. Pune took the momentum walking in to the field. The pitch was such it took some time for the batsmen to get in and MS did take some time but he knew he could change it at the end.”

Injured Indian batsman KL Rahul was disappointed on having missed the flight to England with the Indian squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2017. The Bangalore-born batsman, however, has announced his comeback date. He sees the Sri Lanka in August as the comeback series after healing his injury.

KL Rahul was quoted as saying on News 18, “It’s been just a month that I had this surgery. It will take some more time, maybe two months to recover and attain the required fitness to get back to international cricket. So aiming for sometime in August for comeback, probably can make a comeback for the Sri Lanka series.”

Rahul had a pretty successful Border-Gavaskar Trophy where he scored six fifties. On missing to be a part of the Champions Trophy squad, he said, “Missing tournaments due to injury is a part and parcel of the game for a player. Of course, I miss playing cricket, being part of the IPL, it is the biggest tournament in India and the Champions Trophy, would have been the first world (ICC) tournament that I would have played.”

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli will be leading the team in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 in England. The first game for India is on June 4 against arch-rivals Pakistan in Birmingham. This is a key battle for India as losing this match might kick them out of the tournament. Also, both India and Pakistan hate losing to each other.

However, this is not the only thing which is on Virat Kohli’s mind. The Indian captain will be holding a charity ball for the underprivileged children.

The Virat Kohli Charity Ball is the manifestation of a dream to inspire and bring about a transformative change to the future of the country. Virat’s chosen causes will be a key theme of the night and connected to leading charitable causes in India.

Amul, India’s largest daily corporative, will be New Zealand cricket team’s official team sponsors. The New Zealand players will be seen donning the new colours with the new sponsor’s name written on their shoulders in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.

It is a little ironic that Indian cricket team too got their new title sponsor which is a Chinese company. India’s new title sponsors are Oppo Mobiles, a company based out of China. On the other hand, Amul is an Indian company and we will see its name written on the jerseys of the Kiwi team.

The winner of the ICC Champions Trophy in England will pocket home a cool $2.2 million after the ICC announced the prize money for the tournament. The runner-up of the tournament will take home $1.1 million and the total prize pool of the tournament is $4.5 million.

A media release by the ICC quoted, “The upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales from 1-18 June carries a total prize money of $4.5 million with the winner of the eight-team tournament taking home a cheque of $2.2 million, the International Cricket Council announced today. The eighth edition of the tournament sees an increase of $500,000 in prize money from the 2013 edition, which too was played at the three venues being used this time – Cardiff Wales Stadium, Edgbaston and The Oval.”

New Zealand pacer Tim Southee believes that Virat Kohli will be able to turn thing around in ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Southee said that Virat is too big a player to rectify the mistakes he did in IPL, where he did not look up to the mark.

He said, “He is a class player. There’s a reason why they are such good players and they don’t stay out of form for too long. I’m sure he’s working extremely hard with such a big tournament round the corner.”

India will be playing New Zealand in Champions Trophy warm-up game before the tournament begins on June 1. Southee went on to say that Virat Kohli is the best batsman in the world currently and that he will have no problems in adjusting to the conditions in England. He said, “I’m sure he will adjust to the conditions. There’s a reason why he is the best batsman in the world. He will step up as the Indian captain as well.”

“I don’t think any group is easy, that’s the beauty of Champions Trophy which is played among top eight teams in the world. There’s no easy game, that makes Champions Trophy such a great tournament to be a part of. Any side can beat the other on a given day. It’s an exciting tournament.”

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has predicted a final between India and Australia in the 2017 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy to be played in England. He has also predicted that the match will be a close encounter and hopes that Australia ends up winning the match by 1 run.

Speaking to the media in Kolkata, Clarke when asked to predict the results of the ICC Champions Trophy said, “I am backing India and Australia to play the final and hope Australia win by one run.”

MS Dhoni has had a very average IPL 2017. Dhoni was under immense scrutiny when he stepped into the field to play in as non-captain in an IPL game. in the ICC Champions Trophy, he had an average outing as well.

The Champions Trophy was a big opportunity for Dhoni to add a personal milestone to his name. His enthusiasts say that Dhoni never played for the personal milestones. However, if that is true, then he needs to evade it for a while. He is no longer the captain of the team and it is about time he starts seeing opportunities and latches on. Records suggest that Dhoni has scored just 10 centuries in the ODI format. One could say that it is because he bats lower down the order. But even then, the numbers are less. Also, the fact that Dhoni has scored all of them in the Indian subcontinent and mostly in India reflects on his failure to convert small scores into big ones abroad.

Former Indian captain Kapil Dev is backing India to retain the ICC Champions Trophy next month in England. The World Cup-winning Indian captain was quoted as saying on cricket.com.au that the way India are playing, they have the ability to win the tournament.

Kapil said, “The way they are playing, yes, definitely…I believe we have the team and the ability.”

“I know the opposition is very very tough in England. The good part is that we won last time when we played there and that is an advantage.”

England are a team to beat

At the same time, Kapil said that it will be a tough task beating England in their home. Kapil said, “You can’t rule out any team but England will be very very tough playing in England and their team is quite good. They know the conditions better than anybody else.”

Present during the unveiling of his statue by Madame Tussauds in Delhi, Kapil Dev spoke about Indias chances in the Champions Trophy, Virat Kohlis dip in form not a concern and the India-Pakistan ties in cricket. Speaking to PTI on Indias squad for the Champions Trophy, Kapil said, I think they are looking good. Indian team have been playing well for last five years but it depends on how well they apply themselves on that day. We definitely have the capability to win. But how they maintain themselves and put pressure on an opponent that will be the key. When asked if he could see one bowler who could possibly help India defend their Champions Trophy crown, he added, It is not about one bowler, it is the team that wins.

Present during the unveiling of his statue by Madame Tussauds in Delhi, Kapil Dev spoke about India’s chances in the Champions Trophy, Virat Kohli’s dip in form not a concern and the India-Pakistan ties in cricket. Speaking to PTI on India’s squad for the Champions Trophy, Kapil said,” “I think they are looking good. Indian team have been playing well for last five years but it depends on how well they apply themselves on that day. We definitely have the capability to win. But how they maintain themselves and put pressure on an opponent that will be the key.” When asked if he could see one bowler who could possibly help India defend their Champions Trophy crown, he added, “It is not about one bowler, it is the team that wins.

The Indian selector’s choice of the 15-member squad for Champions Trophy 2017 has been largely debated upon. The major talking point was the inclusion of an extra batsman in the squad to exclude a genuine third spinner. It is not clear why a certain Kuldeep Yadav or Harbhajan Singh weren’t selected. While they former’s contention may have been hampered by the lack of his experience, the latter, one of India’s finest and most experienced spinners, certainly deserved a spot. Here are 5 reasons why –

Cricket Australia have named their all-time ICC Champions Trophy XI and have made some peculiar choices excluding former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni from the XI. Two Indian players were included in the all-time XI with Rahul Dravid acting as the wicket-keeper of the side and Sourav Ganguly leading it.

Cricket Australia have gone with West Indian opener Chris Gayle and South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs to open the batting. Both Gayle and Gibbs have an exceptional record in the Champions Trophy, with Gayle also having a very good record with the ball as well.

Shikhar Dhawan has made a comeback to the Indian cricket team as he was named in the 15-man squad for ICC Champions Trophy and he is quite ecstatic about this.

Dhawan said while speaking to IPLT20.com that he feels happy to have reaped dividends for performing well in the IPL. He said, “I was obviously happy to see my name in the India squad for the Champions Trophy but more than that I felt it was a reward for my performances in the shorter formats and in the ongoing IPL.”

“If I keep performing well, I believe those performances won’t be ignored. I want to perform and keep playing for India as long as I can. I am pumped up to play the Champions Trophy,” he added.

Dhawan said that he has sweet memories of last Champions Trophy win, where he scored two centuries. He said, “I have some good memories of the tournament and I had a great one the last time we played there. But as of now I want to focus on the IPL and then switch to the preparations for the Champions Trophy. We will try to bring home the Champions Trophy.”

ICC Champions Trophy 2017 is just 20 days away and the excitement is only growing up among the fans. Finally, India have announced their 15-man squad too, led by Virat Kohli and featuring the regulars faces – MS Dhoni, Ajinkya Rahane and Yuvraj Singh. Opening batsman Rohit Sharma will make a return to the ODI team too along with Mohammed Shami.

Here, we look at the full squads of all the teams participating in the tournament:

Often, the greatest of batsmen have needed reality checks to get them back to form. For the same, Virat Kohli being woefully out of form in the IPL could be a blessing in disguise for India as they defend their Champions Trophy crown, starting at June 1st.
English conditions and the tour to England in 2014 remains one of Virat Kohli’s biggest debacle in his cricketing career. A lot of questions were raised against his angular bat technique which made his most susceptible to the out-swinger that nicks to the slips cordon. James Anderson literally made Virat Kohli cry away in sorrow throughout that tour.

A comeback after two years ain’t a difficult task and no one better than Indian pacer, Mohammad Shami to know that. After getting picked in the Champions Trophy squad today which begins at June 1st, Mohammad Shami is itching to make the most of it. He says, Two years is a long time to be out of ODI squad. In these two years, I have focused on my strength and fitness. I have also worked on my weaknesses. I have got leaner. I am hopeful that I can perform well in the upcoming Champions Trophy. I want to give my best shot.”

A comeback after two years ain’t a difficult task and no one better than Indian pacer, Mohammad Shami to know that. After getting picked in the Champions Trophy squad today which begins at June 1st, Mohammad Shami is itching to make the most of it. He says, “Two years is a long time to be out of ODI squad. In these two years, I have focused on my strength and fitness. I have also worked on my weaknesses. I have got leaner. I am hopeful that I can perform well in the upcoming Champions Trophy. I want to give my best shot.”

Indian chairman of selectors MSK Prasad has praised former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni after announcing India’s 15-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy. There were some people doubting whether MS Dhoni should have been selected in the squad or not with the emergence of young talented wicket-keeper batsmen such as Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan. But Prasad has given Dhoni his full support ahead of India’s campaign in the Champions Trophy, where they will be heading in as defending champions.

Prasad speaking to the media said, “How many of us still believe that MSD is still the best wicketkeeper in the world? We all believe he is still the best wicketkeeper in the world. We are only talking and focussing on his batting form.”

Prasad also praised Dhoni’s leadership skills. “He is an invaluable asset to the team and his inputs in crunch situations, he has got one of the best brains. He is the best person to guide Virat.”

The Indian team for ICC Champions Trophy has been announced and we don’t see many changes in the squad. This is almost the same squad which played against England in January. The only two changes that can be seen is the return of Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami in the 15-man squad which will be leaving for the Champions Trophy on June 1.

The squad looks good. However, one can definitely say that there were a few good players, both young and old, who were ignored in the selection.

These players were so good that a different 15-man squad can be made out of them. So, we look at these 15 players who can make an ignored Indian squad for Champions Trophy.

After all the hullabaloo, Indias Champions Trophy squad was finally announced amidst a big bust-up between ICC and BCCI. Eventually, the right call was taken yesterday by the authorities by announcing that India will definitely play the Champions Trophy and the squad to be announced on a subsequent day. The Chairman of Selectors, MSK Prasad had a lot of answering to do, expectedly because not every prospect can fit in the squad and Champions Trophy being a big tournament, many youngsters had to be left out.

After all the hullabaloo, India’s Champions Trophy squad was finally announced amidst a big bust-up between ICC and BCCI. Eventually, the right call was taken yesterday by the authorities by announcing that India will definitely play the Champions Trophy and the squad to be announced on a subsequent day. The Chairman of Selectors, MSK Prasad had a lot of answering to do, expectedly because not every prospect can fit in the squad and Champions Trophy being a big tournament, many youngsters had to be left out.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced the 15-man squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2017. The team will be led by Virat Kohli and the tournament will also mark the return of Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami into Team India’s ODI setup.

However, KKR captain Gautam Gambhir’s decent run with the bat has been ignored yet again. Also, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and Kuldeep Yadav have been performing well in the ongoing Indian Premier League.

The BCCI selectors have announced the squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Virat Kohli will be leading the side, comprising MS Dhoni, Ajinkya Rahane as other important players.

India will be playing their first game against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 4. It is expected to be a high-octane contest as both the teams will be clashing with each other after a long time. The last time India and Pakistan played in a game was in WT20 in 2016 where India emerged victorious.

The selectors have picked a pace-heavy attack is a must in conditions such as England. The English conditions suit the pace bowling the most and the trio of Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Ravichandran Ashwin leads the spin attack, which also has Ravindra Jadeja in it. The off-spinner has been taking rest for a while after a hectic home Test season, where he picked plenty of wickets.

The gates are open for India to play in ICC Champions Trophy 2017 in England as BCCI is ready to send the 15-man squad to take part in the event. There were big doubts over India’s participation in the ICC event after BCCI was denied the demands for implementation of the old revenue model, where the Indian cricket board got the bigger piece of cake.

However, BCCI now believes that amidst cricket politics, the game should not be affected and after the end of the Special General Meeting, it was concluded on Sunday, that India will participate in the tournament.

India are defending champions and they will play with an additional pressure of retaining the trophy. Here, we look at how India have fared in the previous editions of the Champions Trophy tournament.

India in ICC Champions Trophy 1998 – The first edition of ICC Champions Trophy was played in Bangladesh and India performed average in the tournament. They won the first match by beating Australia by 44 runs. However, they could not beat West Indies in the second qualifier, losing the game by 6 wickets.

After weeks of ambiguity surrounding India’s participation in ICC Champions Trophy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India have finally come out with a clear statement. Putting an end to all the speculation, the BCCI on Sunday cleared India’s participation in the ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales at its Special General Meeting in Delhi.

It was decided that no legal recourse will be taken against the ICC as dictated by the Committee of Administrators (COA).The team for the event, starting June 1, will be selected in the next 48 hours.

“It was a unanimous decision that the Indian team will be participating in the Champions Trophy. We will not take any legal recourse in the matter. Mr Amitabh Chaudhary and CEO Rahul Johri will negotiate with ICC,” a senior office-bearer told PTI.

Former president N Srinivasan attended the SGM via Skype but refrained from speaking about a pull-out after gauging the general mood.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to announce the 15-man squad on May 8, confirmed the Acting President CK Khanna. He assured that India are going to take part in the ICC Champions Trophy.

BCCI are going to hold a Special General Meeting on May 7 and on the next day, the squad for the Champions Trophy is expected to be announced.

All the other teams taking part in the tournament have announced their team except India. They missed the deadline which was April 25 due to their on-going tussle between ICC and BCCI over the revenue sharing model where India is losing on big money, almost half of what the earlier contract promised.

Earlier, it was reported that BCCI members were angry with the new ICC revenue model. However, at the same time, some of the members want the squad to be announced citing the Visa issues which might hinder India’s departure to England.

BCCI is going through a Shakespearean dilemma of ‘To be or not to be’ when it comes to sending the team for ICC Champions Trophy. From the time ICC gave green signal to the new revenue share model, BCCI has been thinking about pulling out of the tournament.

Indian coach Anil Kumble had revealed his thoughts on the same, saying that India should be taking part in the tournament. This statement might land him in a bit of trouble, writes Hindustan Times. As per a report published in HT, some BCCI members are upset with Kumble of having made that statement as he too is a part of the Indian cricket team and BCCI.

A senior BCCI member talking to HT, said, “It is the institution which decides and not one individual. Kumble writing to the Board about his decision of wanting to play in the Champions Trophy was uncalled for. He had no business in doing this.”

The clouds of uncertainly have gathered on the heads of the Indian cricket team as their still is no confirmation as to whether the Men in Blue will participate in the upcoming Champions Trophy or not.

In the midst of this, reports from Indian Express have stated that Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators’ (COA) head Vinod Rai has had a conversation with the Indian skipper Virat Kohli and head coach Anil Kumble regarding the same. It is now believed that both Kohli and Kumble want to march on to England to defend their title they won four years back.

However, the hinderance in their pursuit might come as BCCI are showing their reluctancy to name the squad for the tournament – which is scheduled from 1st of June. The committte has already surpassed the deadline date to submit their team sheet and the sole reason behind this is their conflict with ICC’s recent revenue sharing model.

Furthermore, with that being said and done, BCCI were recently ordered, by the CoA, to announce the squad for the ICC Champions Trophy as soon as possible.

The Committee of Administrators(COA) has ordered the BCCI to announce the squad for the ICC Champions Trophy beginning on June 1 in England, immediately. The BCCI have been involved in a tussle with the ICC in regards to the new revenue model, which will significantly reduce the board’s earnings. In opposition to the new revamped model, BCCI have threatened to pull out of the ICC Champions Trophy, missing the deadline to announce the squad and being the only team whose squad has not been named for the ICC Champions Trophy.

Speculations are rampant that on a meeting on May 7, the BCCI would officially announce their decision to pull out of the ICC Champions Trophy. But the COA’s order has put another twist on the news which has been dominating India’s sporting headlines. It now remains to be seen whether the BCCI obliges with COA’s order and names the squad immediately for the Champions Trophy. BCCI could also play it smart and in a move to appease the COA, announce a squad consisting of solely fringe players to send to the ICC Champions Trophy.

The ongoing tussle between BCCI and ICC over the revenue sharing model is having its different repercussions. Reports are doing the rounds that BCCI might pull out of the ICC Champions Trophy or maybe send a second-string side to the tournament.

The recent news is that the official broadcaster of the tournament, Star India, has written a letter to ICC expressing their concern over India’s participation. TOI wrote that Star India has written to ICC that their commercial prospects are taking a hit.

The letter reads, “If India were not to participate, the tournament would lose its meaning.”

Star India MD Sanjay Gupta, however, feels that the broadcaster is hoping that BCCI and ICC are going to solve the issue soon. He said, “We are confident BCCI and the ICC will resolve issues around the tournament.”

India will be donning new colours in the upcoming ODI tournaments. The new jersey has the name of the new sponsor OPPO, a mobile telecom company.

As far as the design is concerned, there is no change in the jersey. Earlier jersey India’s title sponsor was Star who were associated with the team for many years and were also there as sponsor in 2015 World Cup.

Star India’s contract ended in a March 2017 and then OPPO grabbed the opportunity with both the hands when the tender bid was announced by BCCI.

Former India and KKR captain Sourav Ganguly believes that Gautam Gambhir is in serious contention for a place in the Indian ODI squad for ICC Champions Trophy as he has made his case strong with his IPL performances.

Ganguly said, “Gambhir is in good form, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep him in the fray. Besides, Lokesh Rahul too is not available at the moment.”

The Prince of Kolkata is backing Indian pacer Mohammad Shami to be picked in the India squad as well. He believes Shami has found touch in Delhi Daredevils’ last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He said, “Shami fared quite well in yesterday’s match. The ball to get rid of David Warner was a very good one. If he is fit, he is well and truly an automatic choice in the Indian team. No second thoughts on that.”

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has roped in a UK-based law firm to send a legal notice to ICC over the violation of the contract in which India was supposed to get a big chunk from ICC’s revenue. The board has also started communication with the state units, reported TOI.

What this means is that India is ready to pull themselves out from playing in ICC Champions Trophy 2017 in England. The state units have shown their disagreement with ICC over the revenue sharing model and are unanimously protesting the move to cut BCCI’s share. However, this move will come with its repercussions. A senior BCCI official feels the same.

A BCCI member was quoted as saying to TOI, “The question here is not about whether BCCI should be sending the notice or not. A notice will be sent as per the legal norms, because it is certainly a violation of an existing contract. The question is, are we prepared for the repercussions post sending the notice.”

The latest ODI rankings are out with South Africa increasing their lead with 4 points at the top of the table and are now 123. Australia retain their spot at the 2nd place without any additional points with 118 points. India gain 5 points to push New Zealand down to move to 3rd place. The Kiwis are now at the 4th place, 2 points behind India. England and Sri Lanka maintain their place at 5th and 6th place respectively.

The ODI rankings will play a huge role in the ICC Champions Trophy coming up as only the top 8 teams will be qualifying for the main event. There was also a possibility that Pakistan might not be able to qualify with West Indies on their heels but the Carribean side haven’t been able to perform consistently and are hence now, positioned at 9th place at 79 while Pakistan are comfortably nesting at 8th place with 88 points and with not much of ODI action before the Champions Trophy, Pakistan might be in safe waters

Indian cricket selectors might announce the squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2017 on May 7 and the talks are high that young guns like Rishabh Pant, Krunal Pandya and Nitish Rana may make the cut in the 15-man squad.

However, two former selectors believe that it is very early to call the shots. Former Indian selector Kiran More opines that experienced players should be going to England. He told Indian Express, “The Champions Trophy (50 overs a side) is a different ball game in England. You need experienced players for that.”

Saba Karim, who also has spent a long time as BCCI selector said that an IPL performance should not be a parameter to pick an ODI team. He told Livemint, “When you are picking a T20 team, then (giving weightage to) IPL performance is fine. If I have to pick just a T20 team, then I can think of Rana, but certainly not for ODIs. I will see what he has done in the Vijay Hazare tournament.”

He added, “Even Pant will get a look only if (MS) Dhoni is injured. Similarly, someone like Krunal Pandya will be seriously considered if Ravindra Jadeja is unfit. However, if Virat Kohli gets injured, I won’t consider because he hasn’t done anything of note in domestic cricket, unlike a Pant or Pandya.”

Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg believes that Indian chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav should be picked in India’s squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Hogg sees a different bowler in Kuldeep who can bowl in different conditions.

He said in an interview given to PTI, “Great thing about the sport (cricket) is no two countries are same. There is always something different that adds to variety of the different individuals. One of his (Kuldeep) next job will be to bowl on different wickets.”

He added, “Kuldeep is a different bowler for sure. There aren’t too many chinaman bowlers in world cricket at the moment. Kuldeep has great variety and strength of any spinner is his variations. You may know all the tricks in the trade but no point using the tricks if you haven’t yet mastered a stock delivery.”

Hogg’ statement might help Kuldeep in his quest to be picked in Indian ODI squad. When England came to India in January this year, he bowled well in the warm-up games and showed his class.

Amid the continuing suspense on whether India will take part in the upcoming Champions Trophy, Committee of Administrators’ member Ramachandra Guha on Sunday said the country “absolutely must” compete in the event.

India’s participation in the eight-team tournament in England, starting June 1, is a subject of speculation after the BCCI was out-voted in the ICC over its opposition to a revamped revenue and governance structure.

The Indian board is miffed with the massive cut in its earnings from the ICC revenues after the world body opted to end the ‘Big Three’ domination in its governance and revenue sharing.

“Boycotting or threatening to boycott a prestigious international tournament does not become a great cricketing nation,” Guha tweeted.

Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri said that KKR captain Gautam Gambhir has been unstoppable in IPL 2017, saying that the Delhi-born batsman has been very good with his decision making on the field and brilliant as an opener.

He wrote in his TOI column, “Gautam Gambhir has so far been the most consistent Indian opener in this IPL. His batting is still smooth and layered and whenever his bat makes a contact with the ball, there is a run. It’s another matter he could’ve just played as captain and still be worth his weight in gold. Indeed, he has been superb as a leader of his men.”

Gambhir has scored 376 runs in 9 games at a brilliant strike rate of 137.72. His average of over 60 speaks for his brilliant run with the bat.

Shastri pointing on the same stat, wrote, “As a batsman, Gambhir has been unstoppable. Nobody has hit more boundaries or 50s. His cuts still thread past the pointcover region; his dabs still have third man diving desperately and raking up a laundry bill.That he hardly hits a six tells us about the options he still has at the crease. It’s been a task for bowlers to keep him pinned to one end.”

India have not yet announced the 15-man squad for ICC Champions Trophy to be held in June in England. Rumours are that India are going to pull out of the tournament because of BCCI’s on-going tussle with ICC over share in the total revenue.

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar speaking to NDTV, said that India have all the rights to pull out of the tournament. He said, “If they go strictly by the book, when the 2014 model came into being, I think with that legal agreement, they are entirely within their rights if they decide to withdraw from the tournament. The agreement that was there in 2014 has been completely overlooked. I don’t think we should forget that. The thing is, if the 2014 model has been overlooked, maybe you can overlook the 2017 model also in a couple of months.”

Gavaskar was sounding critical of ICC for being biased towards England and Australia and ignoring BCCI’s interest. However, at the same time, he blamed BCCI for having not held the power in its hand for a long time. He said, “The only influence that has remained constant at international level has been that of England and Australia. Maybe, India are not as powerful as they were maybe a couple of years back. Maybe, they will have to look within themselves why that has happened because of things that have happened and only the BCCI are responsible for that.”

Rohit Sharma has not had the best of campaigns in the 10th edition of the IPL. Yes, there have been flashes of brilliance here and there but it has been a season full of frustration for the Indian opener. Opening the batting, that’s another question which arises with Rohit Sharma. Does he even view himself as an opener? Because he has usually batted at the No.4 spot, a position where he finds himself the most comfortable in. Heading into the Champions Trophy, where there will be freshly laid pitches which will offer swing and seam to the pacers if Rohit Sharma isn’t in the right mindset to open the batting, it could turn out to be a travesty for India.

It’s not that India is short of options in the position. Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa, both openers, have had a far better season in the IPL on a much more challenging wicket at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, which has provided a fair bit of assistance to the seamers. Granted Uthappa has batted at No.3, but he has more often than faced a newish ball. Both have been impressive at the top of the order looking solid and aggressive in equal measure. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma batting in the middle order, where he is rarely exposed to the new ball, has only managed one half-century in the tournament.

The fight between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) seems to be intensifying by the day with a majority of Indian board members seem determined to pull the plug on the Champions Trophy.

As per the same newspaper, belief is that ICC might force a ban on BCCI and the Indian cricket board in return might organize two IPLs in one year, hence strengthening the domestic cricket. The board is not even worried whether international players will play or not. A senior member of BCCI was quoted as saying in Mumbai Mirror, “Foreign players will be available in abundance. There are many T20 mercenaries.”

BCCI can plan for a mini IPL as well at the end of the year, if the ban is imposed.

South African chinaman spinner Tabraiz Shamshi will be returning back to his country, leaving his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore midway in the IPL season. The reason for his sudden going away has not yet been revealed.

Shamshi was not picked in South Africa’s Champions Trophy squad as well. The Cricket South Africa selectors picked Keshav Maharaj over him for the big tournament coming up in June in England.

The young spinner announced his decision to return to South Africa on social media, where he wrote, “Really sad to be leaving India. People in India have been really awesome. Lots of love and support, and hopefully I can be back next year for the IPL. I really appreciate the passion people have here. Can’t thank the guys of Bengaluru enough. Going to miss this place a lot.”

He played three matches in IPL 2016 but did not get a chance to feature in the playing XI of RCB this season. It was Samuel Badree who was picked ahead of him, every time RCB felt a need to play an extra spinner.

A recent report from India Today has revealed that the Indian Cricket team players are breathing heavily on the neck of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) to know about the possibility of them travelling to England to play the eight-team Champions Trophy, which will be kicking off in June.

“A number of Indian cricketers are ringing us up to ask, ‘Are we going or not?’ Why do we need to put them in such a situation?” a CoA member told India Today.

The clouds of uncertainty are fainting over the heads of the Indian Cricket team as there is still no confirmation about the participation of the men in Blues in the competition. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were supposed to give the entire team sheet by April 25, however, they delayed which led to the news that the team might be pulled out of the tournament.

The tussle between BCCI and PCB ceased to end. The day after ICC passed the new revenue model, which was protested by BCCI for it was slashing its revenue massively, PCB chairman Shahryar Khan said that India’s absence from ICC Champions Trophy will not affect ICC.

The speculations are that India might pull out of the ICC Champions Trophy, citing their ongoing issues with the ICC. Speaking on the same matter, Shahryar Khan said that India’s absence will not be felt in the upcoming ICC tournament.

He said, “Yes India has strongly opposed the resolution at the ICC meeting. However, it received the support only from Sri Lanka while the rest were in favour of getting rid of the ‘big three’ formula.”

BCCI’s quest to protest the ICC’s new revenue model has come to a sad end for them. In the recently-concluded ICC’s Governance and Revenue meeting, the BCCI lost the vote on governance and constitutional changes by a margin of 2-12.The revenue model, on the other hand, was passed with a margin of 13-1. What does the new revenue model give out to BCCI?
ICC, in its press statement, said that BCCI will be receiving $293 million in the 8-year cycle. Earlier, BCCI had outrightly refused Shashank Manohar’s offer of 100 million. This is still the biggest chunk of the cake. England and Wales Cricket Board gets $143 million while the Zimbabwe cricket board will be receiving $94 million.

With the BCCI repeatedly strong-arming ICC to make its case, what lies ahead for Indian cricket in the entire deadline fiasco is going to be a mystery. Given the fact that all the teams have submitted their squads for the Champions Trophy and with India remaining the only team to have the power to push back the deadline, the ICC vs BCCI war is not going away anytime soon.

The case: BCCI has been loggerheads with the ICC over their latest revenue sharing model that jeopardises India’s profit margin according to many reports. A massive reduction proposed by the governing body in their share of revenue is not what BCCI agrees with. Hence, they have strong-armed the ICC to pushing the squad announcement deadline to 27th April after a meet in Dubai to decide Team India’s participation in the Champions Trophy altogether. The ICC though, does allow teams to postpone their squad submission deadline on certain circumstances only. Now that it’s a known fact that India are in dangerous waters, let’s look at all the possibilities from here on:

Former Australian skipper has named his Indian squad that should be picked for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy that starts on June 1st. While speaking to India Today, Michael Clarke explained his reasoning behind keeping KL Rahul out of the squad, among many other noticeable omissions.
Clarke says, “I think if KL Rahul is not completely fit, India will not pick him. It is a big loss but India have replacements. I think Rohit Sharma needs to play and open for India. And then I think the selectors will go for Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane’s technique if the ball is swinging is conducive to England. No brainer at number three, Virat Kohli as captain.

Pakistan have announced their 15-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy which will start on June 1 in England. Azhar Ali and Umar Akmal have been recalled to the squad and Pakistan will hope that their comeback will bring around a change in their fortunes. Both Ali and Akmal were dropped after Pakistan’s 4-1 ODI series loss against Australia down under. The 15-man squad will be lead by wicketkeeper batsman Sarfraz Ahmed.

There is no place in the squad for Kamran Akmal, who was included in Pakistan’s tour of West Indies. But he failed to capitalize on the opportunity handed out to him. He also looked uncomfortable out in the field, having played most of his professional career as a wicket-keeper batsman.

England play their first game against Bangladesh on the opening day of the ICC Champions Trophy, which is June 1.This is a great ODI unit which has a great mix of pacers, all-rounders and quality batsman. In Jason Roy and Alex Hales, England have one of the deadliest opening combinations while Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali make for a great middle-order.In the bowling department, England will be heavily depended on David Willey and Liam Plunkett. In Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes, the team have two effective all-rounders.

The Board of Control for Cricket in Indian will be announcing the Indian cricket team squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2017 only after attending the ICC Board meeting on April 27. This means that BCCI will be missing the deadline for submission of the 15-man squad for the tournament, which is April 25.

Other teams like Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Bangladesh, South Africa have already announced their respective squads. It is expected that Pakistan and England too will come up with their squads by April 25. However, India will only decide on the team on or after April 27, reported the Hindustan Times.

Why the delay?

Hindustan Times wrote that BCCI has been keeping the pressure on ICC to pull out of the Champions Trophy. The Indian cricket board has been very critical of the ICC for changing the revenue model for the big three countries – India, Australia and England, where India is losing out on big money.

BCCI has been putting pressure on the ICC for using its right of Members Participation Agreement (MPA) which allows a member of the ICC to pull out of the tournament.

What to expect?

While it is near to impossible that India will not be playing the Champions Trophy this year but we cannot ignore the fact that BCCI is very rigid in their thoughts this time around. Indian cricket team generates the largest chunk of the revenue and they should be getting the biggest share as well, opines BCCI. However, ICC is making sure that equal amount of share is distributed among all the member countries for the overall development of cricket.

Lasith Malinga makes a comeback in Sri Lanka’s ODI team as he features in the 15-man squad announced by Sri Lanka cricket board on Monday. Malinga last played an ODI game in November in 2015. There were questions on fitness of the star pacer from the Island as he has been struggling g with injuries for a long time, hence playing more of T20Is than ODIs.

The selectors believe that Malinga is fit enough now to play in a 50-over game. The squad also features Chamara Kapugedera, who last played a game for Sri Lanka in January 2016. Nuwan Pardeep, too makes the cut in the 15-man squad. Pradeep’s been on and off the team in the last one year. Selectors have shown faith in these two players yet again.

SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala, speaking on the return of Malinga in ODIs, sai, “Malinga has got his medical clearance to bowl 10 overs, since about two weeks ago. We need to build him up to bowl 10 overs now. He’s playing in the IPL, which is to our advantage because he’s in a top-class cricketing environment and he’s practising. Right now we are getting reports that he’s going into eight overs in a spell. We have to make sure he’s fit to bowl 10 by about the 10th of May.”

Sri Lanka will play their first ICC Champions Trophy game against South Africa on June 3.

New Zealand cricket announced the 15-man squad for ICC Champions Trophy which is scheduled to take place in England from June 1. As it was expected, Kane Williamson will be leading the side.

Eight of the players in the squad are currently playing in Indian Premier League 2017. They are Kane Williamson, Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Tim Southee.

The Kiwis have a good side with great mix of all-rounders, spinner and pacers in the 15-man squad. Colin de Grandhomme and Corey Anderson both have made the cut in to the team and now, it will be interesting to see who makes the cut into the playing 11. In form of Mitchell Santner and Jeetan Patel, Kiwis are going with two spinners. Interestingly, the New Zealand selectors have dropped Ish Sodhi has been dropped from the squad, which raises many eyebrows as a leg-spinner would have had added variety.

New Zealand play their first game against Trans-Tasmanian rivals Australia on June 2. The 18-day tournament kicks off at The Oval with England playing the first game against Bangladesh on June 1.

The three-member selection committee will be fretting on India’s bowling combination for the upcoming Champions Trophy with a clear toss-up for the fourth pacer’s slot between Ashish Nehra and Mohammed Shami as per reports by PTI.
The cut-off date set by ICC for announcing the 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy in the United Kingdom is April 25 and it is expected that the squad will be named in the next few days. The date of the selection committee meeting has not been finalised as some in the BCCI want the ICC issues pertaining to revenue sharing and governance to be resolved first.

Indian cricket team selectors are yet to decide on the 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy, which begins on June 1 in England and Wales. Indian Premier League is a great platform for the youngsters and the Indian discards to make their names counted before the squad is announced for the ICC tournament.

Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman has come out with his favourite opening combination for Indian in the tournament, picking Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma to do the job. He said while speaking to ANI, “I think it is great to see Shikhar batting the way he is. He looks in very good rhythm. Also he is in good space of mind. And I am sure the way he is batting, he will win more and more matches for the franchise. I am hoping that he will get a place in the Champions Trophy. I believe Shikhar and Rohit are the right players to open in England.”

Laxman carried on saying that India have a great chance of winning the trophy. He said, “I believe India has got a very good chance in the Champions Trophy. But whether its T20 or 50-over format, whichever team performs well on that day, they win the game. I believe at this moment I can chose the four semi-finalists and India will be one among them.”

Laxman is in the coaching staff of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Shikhar plays for the same franchise. Shikhar has been in form with the bat, scoring plenty of runs with the bat, 235 runs to be exact thus far in just 6 games. He seems to have found the touch but to be honest, he has really been on and off with the bat. On some days, he looks to be the best batsman in the team and on other days, he is too mediocre a batsman. On the other hand, there are other young batsmen emerging out in form of Rishabh Pant, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi in this IPL. Also, veteran Gautam Gambhir has been making runs in plenty this season. These guys cannot be ignored while picking the squad for the Champions Trophy.

Currently placed at the eighth position in ICC ODI rankings, Pakistan will be going to England to play ICC Champions Trophy in order to prove that they are a better one-day side than what the rankings suggest.

Pakistan have a new captain at the helm in form of Sarfraz Ahmed and a young team which can change the fortunes for their country, at least, on a cricket field.

Pakistan can take heart from the fact that when they arrived in England last year in the Summer for the Test series, they surprised everyone with an emphatic performance. We cannot say the same for the ODI performance. However, unpredictability and Pakistan cricket go hand-in-hand. Like their neighbours, India, they too have won an ICC tournament playing in England when they clinched the ICC WT20 trophy in June 2009.

The Asian team have many good players at their disposal but what would be a big setback for Pakistan is the presence of a big player in the team. Shahid Afridi, for years, carried the tag of the big player, who delivered rarely. These young Pakistan players can change the definition of a big player for Pakistan in this tournament.

ICC Champions Trophy is far more important for Pakistan than any other team. They will have to play hard cricket. A little bit more than bat, bowl and field.

As soon as the madness of Indian Premier League ends, international cricket will be back in style in form of ICC Champions Trophy.

The much-awaited tournament begins on June 1 and will go on till June 18 in England. Indian will be the defending champions this year, winning the 2013 edition under the leadership of MS Dhoni. This time around, the leadership will change. But India would hope, the fate remains the same.

The first clash of the tournament will be played between host England and the ever-improving Bangladesh at The Oval on June 1.

India will be playing their first match on June 4 against the arch-rivals Pakistan on June 4 in Birmingham. This is the most-awaited battle of the tournament when two of the Asian giants, who are divided by history and united by cricket.

Indian opening batsman KL Rahul might not make it to India’s Champions Trophy squad due to shoulder injury he picked up during India-Australia Test series in March.

Rahul missed the tenth edition of Indian Premier League due to the same injury. A Frustrated Rahul speaking to the Times of India that he does not see a thick chance for him to get selected in the Indian ODI squad for Champions Trophy.

He said, “I will just have to wait and see but the chances are very, very slim,” Rahul told the Times of India.”

Describing his injury, which keeps him away from cricket, he said, “I had torn my labrum (a ring of fibrocartilage attached to the shoulder socket). I couldn’t get into a few positions because my shoulder kept dislocating. That’s why I couldn’t play a lot of shots and had to restrict myself. I played with a lot of medication and taping.”

“The doctor said it will take 2-3 months. Each body is different, so you don’t know how it recovers,” he said. “It is totally up to me and how I well I take care of myself in the rehab phase. For now, it is 2-3 weeks of relaxing and after that, I will start physiotherapy. My rehab will start from there,” Rahul added.

‘Frustrated of getting injured’

Rahul is frustrated because he has been getting injured quite often despite doing everything for keeping himself fit. He said, “It is frustrating for a young man who is new to international cricket – it’s been two-and-a-half years now. “I’ve already been injured twice or thrice. It makes me think about what I am doing wrong.”

Rahul not being there in the Champions Trophy squad is a big setback for the team. However, every setback comes with its share of learning and this period will make him stronger from inside and eager to perform better and as he said it will make him understand his body better. It is very important for a sportsperson to know himself and injuries are a blessing in disguise for that same reason.

India will be up against New Zealand and Bangladesh on 28th and 30th of May respectively to play the warm-up games of the ICC Champions Trophy, which will be kicking off on 1st of June.

The Champions Trophy 2017 promises to be an entertaining tournament mainly because this is going to be the last edition of it. One of the firm favourites, South Africa have already announced their 15-man squad for the tournament and the surprise inclusion has been their left-arm spinner, Keshav Maharaj.

Furthermore, India – who will be defending the crown – are yet to announce their contingent mainly due to their engagement in the on-going Indian Premier League. The men in Blue will be kicking off their campaign on 4th of June against Pakistan in what will be nothing short of a blockbuster tie.

Veteran Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was on Wednesday named one of the eight ambassadors for the ICC Champions Trophy scheduled in England from June 1 to 18.

Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi, Bangladesh’s Habibul Bashar, England’s Ian Bell, New Zealand’s Shane Bond, Australia’s Mike Hussey, Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka and Graeme Smith of South Africa were unveiled as the other ambassadors for the tournament.

The announcement comes exactly 50 days before the first ball is bowled in the tournament-opener between England and Bangladesh at The Oval.

Harbhajan, who was a member of the India side which shared the 2002 trophy with Sri Lanka in Colombo, said he feels honoured.

“To be appointed as an Ambassador for a global event in which India will be the defending champion is one of the highs for me as a cricketer and something to be really proud of,” Harbhajan was quoted as saying by the ICC in a statement.

“I am confident that team India will achieve greater heights and am sure that millions of fans back home will be following the side’s fortunes.”

Indian off-spin maestro Harbhajan Singh has said that the defending Champions, India, has all the required strength, ability and stability to retain the Champions Trophy – to be held in June.

Harbhajan, who is currently playing with Mumbai Indians in the tenth edition of the Indian Premier League, further believes that the travelling crop should quickly adapt to the conditions of England, as it will help them in the 2019 World Cup – who’s venue is England itself.

“India is the defending champion, and I sincerely believe that we have the strength, ability and stability to defend our crown. We just need to be at the top of our game,” Harbhajan said in a column.

“Let’s not forget that this tournament will feature the world’s eight top-ranked teams. So every team is going to fancy its chances. It will come down to the team that holds its nerve on the day.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named Intel as their Innovation Partner for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2017, beginning June 1.

As part of its continuous drive to use the next wave of powerful technologies, ICC will collaborate with Intel to transform the cricket experience for fans and help coaches and players improve performance.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said:”This is an exciting announcement for the ICC as we continue to focus on innovation and technology to enhance both the game and the experience of the fan.

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